Ximena Garzón-Villalba

Ximena is an experienced professional in Public Health, appointed as Minister of Health from May 2021 to July 2022. She was a member of the International Vaccine Institute Board of Trustees representing Ecuador in 2022. Currently, she is the Dean of Public Health at Universidad San Francisco de Quito and a member of The World Bank Pandemic Fund Technical Advisory Panel.

Ximena obtained her Medical Degree at Universidad Central del Ecuador, she holds Ph.D. in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational Health, and a Post-doctorate in Occupational Health Research and Occupational Epidemiology, both from the University of South Florida. Ximena has been a professor for undergraduate and graduate programs in several Ecuadorian and U.S. Universities. Her research work focuses on Occupational Heat Stress, published in several indexed journals.

As Minister of Public Health, she was responsible for the design and implementation of the “Plan Fenix” a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and led 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 implementation. Dr. Garzón also lead 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.