Ximena Garzon-Villalba is an experienced professional in Public Health, appointed as Minister of Health of Ecuador from May 2021 to July 2022. She was member of the International Vaccine Institute Board of Trustees in 2022. Currently, she is Dean of Public Health at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and member of The World Bank Pandemic Fund Technical Advisory Panel. Dr. Garzon-Villalba is member of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Board of Directors.
Dr. Garzon-Villalba obtained her Medical Degree at Universidad Central del Ecuador, she holds PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational Health, and a Post-doctorate in Occupational Health Research and Occupational Epidemiology, both from University of South Florida. Dr. Garzon-Villalba has been professor for undergraduate and graduate programs in several Ecuadorian and U.S. Universities. Her research work focusses on Occupational Heat Stress, Health Systems Management, Environmental Health and One Health, published in several indexed journals. She was awarded the National Order “For Merit” in the Rank of Grand Cross for leading the “Plan Fenix” a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the design and implementation of the emblematic “9/100 Vaccination Plan” which reached 9 million fully vaccinated people (more than 50% of the population) before the 100th day of its beginning. Dr. Garzon-Villalba also headed up the development of the “Plan Decenal de Salud del Ecuador”, a holistic, interdisciplinary and intersectoral plan designed to improve the public health of her country under the One Health approach.
