About this talk
Upon returning to her native country of Rwanda after the devastating 1994 genocide, pediatrician Agnes Binagwaho found a country—and a health system—in desperate need of help. Compelled to strengthen the war-torn country and to give its people hope for the future, Agnes worked her way up to becoming Rwanda’s Minister of Health, where she led efforts to rebuild the country’s health system from scratch.
Watch Agnes’s 2017 TEDMED Talk to be inspired by her work to create an equitable health system and to empower fellow Rwandans to take a lead role in the fight for better health care.
About Agnes Binagwaho
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Agnes Binagwaho is a world-renowned pediatrician and leader in global health. After returning to Rwanda in 1996, just two years after the devastating genocide, she played a vital role in rebuilding the country’s healthcare system. She served in several high-level government roles, including Minister of Health, where she focused on creating an equitable healthcare system for all Rwandans. Her work helped Rwanda make significant progress in reducing child mortality and combating diseases like HIV/AIDS. Agnes is a strong advocate for health equity and has dedicated her career to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to everyone, especially in low-resource settings. She is a co-founder and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda, an institution dedicated to training the next generation of global health leaders. She also holds a position as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Through her teaching, research, and advocacy, Agnes continues to be a powerful voice for a more just and fair world, where a person’s health is not determined by their location or circumstances.
