Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator and former special assistant to the prime minister Dr Sania Nishtar has been appointed as the chief executive officer of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
In a press release, the global vaccine alliance announced that Dr. Nishtar will officially begin her duties on March 18th. It is pertinent to mention that GAVI played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
“A trained medical doctor, Dr Nishtar has built an outstanding career over 30 years as a global public health leader. In the national government, she served between 2018 and 2022 as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, a role with the status of a federal minister,” the press release said.
The global vaccine alliance further added that her appointment is significant for the organization as it coincides with the conclusion of its fifth five-year strategic period by the end of 2025. Furthermore, Gavi is set to seek board approval for its strategy from 2026 to 2030 during the current year.
“Alongside future strategy, fundraising will be a priority for Dr Nishtar, with plans already in place for a high-level event to launch Gavi’s investment opportunity, to be co-hosted by France and Africa CDC in June,” the press release revealed.
Professor José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Gavi board lauded Sania Nishtar and described her as a “tireless advocate for health equity, an innovative thinker and a proven doer when it comes to solving complex challenges”.
He added that he is impressed by her accomplishments and excited by the possibilities her appointment brings for the alliance and their ambitions to protect future generations.
The PTI senator while commenting on her appointment said that she is “honored by the trust the Gavi board has placed in me and looks forward to working with Gavi’s talented staff and skilled alliance partners to ensure Gavi reaches hundreds of millions of children in lower-income countries with life-saving vaccines against deadly and debilitating diseases.”
