Kigali, Rwanda (March 31, 2017)—The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) announces the appointment of Professor Agnes Binagwaho, MD, M(Ped), PhD, former Rwandan Minister of Health and a champion for health equity, as its new Vice Chancellor.

“Professor Binagwaho’s visionary leadership has helped to transform Rwanda’s health sector into a model for equity, prioritizing access to quality care for the most poor and marginalized,“ says Dr. Paul Farmer, co-Founder and Chief Strategist of Partners In Health. “There is a great deal to learn from Rwanda’s, and Professor Binagwaho’s, impressive results over the last decade, and we are fortunate to have her at the helm of this university.”

Professor Binagwaho is an internationally acclaimed leader in global health. Trained as a pediatrician in Belgium and France, she returned to Rwanda shortly after the 1994 genocide to help rebuild the country’s health system. Over a 20-year tenure as a public servant, including five years as Minister of Health, Dr. Binagwaho played a pivotal role in Rwanda’s remarkable development. Her focus on driving health-care innovation and prioritizing vulnerable communities contributed to dramatic gains in population health and poverty reduction.

“Professor Binagwaho has committed her life’s work to advancing the health and well-being of those in greatest need,” said Dr. Peter Drobac, Executive Director of UGHE. “Her deep expertise as an innovator, an educator, and a global thought leader makes her the ideal candidate to lead UGHE into our next phase of growth.”

As Vice Chancellor of UGHE, Professor Binagwaho will continue to establish the University’s reputation as a global hub for health care delivery science. She will oversee the expansion of the University’s education and research programs, cultivate global partnerships, and prepare the university to move into its permanent home, a state-of-the-art campus in northern Rwanda due to open in 2018.

“UGHE is cultivating a new generation of health professionals with the expertise to deliver comprehensive, equitable health services,” says Professor Binagwaho. “I am proud to work with a team of staff, faculty, and students whose commitment to ensuring access to health care will lead to stronger, more just health systems.”

Prior to her role as Minister of Health, Professor Binagwaho served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Control Commission. In addition to her public service, Professor Binagwaho has served in an array of leadership and advisory positions at both national and global levels. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications in areas ranging from child health and HIV/AIDS to health systems development and human rights.

“I look forward to the continued success of UGHE under her influence,” says Dr. Gary Gottlieb, CEO of Partners In Health. “Who better to equip our students with the will and tenacity to drive change than a leader whose relentless pursuit of equity has improved the lives of so many?”

Professor Binagwaho begins her installment as Vice Chancellor on April 3, 2017.