Probing key informants' views of health equity within the World Health Organization's Urban HEART initiative

2nd Community Oral Health Online Journal Club

Michelle Amri

(MPA, PhD)

Takemi Fello 2021-23, Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA

(Author)

I am a Takemi Fellow 2021-23 in the Takemi Program in International Health at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow. My research program is situated at the intersection of global public health and public policy and largely focuses on:

the concept of health equity as conceptualized and operationalized by the World Health Organization and high-level policymakers;
intersectoral and multisectoral health policy through identifying cross-cutting barriers and enablers to implementation, analyzing high-level policymaker perspectives and relevant actions, considering how equity can be refocused on in these approaches, and how these initiatives can be evaluated;
how policymaking can be improved by collating evidence on equity and gender mainstreaming by policymakers globally, synthesizing categories of approaches for action on health equity, and considering policy opportunities afforded by COVID-19; and
decolonizing global health through uncovering colonial discourses and practices pervasive in the work of major global health actors.

Prior to beginning my doctoral studies, my work was largely centered in public health policy, global health, and health promotion. For example, through my work with the WHO, I had the opportunity to evaluate the Healthy Cities initiative in the Western Pacific Region, design a multisectoral national policy in Lao PDR, among other experiences. I have also worked in several policy capacities for the Ontario Public Service, both at the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and Ministry of Community and Social Services. I continue to consult in the field of global health, having most recently worked for the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

I am on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association for Global Health (CAGH) and help to organize the Canadian Conference on Global Health. I have also helped organize the PEace, Global health, And SUStainability (PEGASUS) conference in 2018 and am an Honorary Advisory Board Member for the PEGASUS Institute. I am also a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity. I was named to the list of Canadian Women in Global Health, recognized with a Rising Star Award from Health Promotion Canada, and awarded a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada.