Nina Schwalbe
{{Short description|American public health researcher}}
{{infobox academic
| name = Nina Schwalbe
| image = Nina Schwalbe.jpg
| caption = Nina Schwalbe at UNU-IIGH, Malaysia
| birth_date = 1966
| alma_mater = Harvard University, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
| main_interests = Global vaccine development, Delivery and deployment, Gender and public health, Access to medicine
| workplaces = Gavi, the vaccine alliance, UNICEF, USAID, Open Society Foundations
}}
Nina Schwalbe (born 18 April 1966) is an American public health researcher who is the founder of Spark Street Advisors, a public health think tank based in New York City. Schwalbe specializes in vaccines. She has previously worked at Gavi, UNICEF and USAID.
== Early life and education ==
Schwalbe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother, Mary Anne Schwalbe, was one of the founders of the International Rescue Committee UK, and founding director of the Women's Refugee Commission.{{Cite web |date=2009-09-22 |title=In Memoriam: Mary Anne Schwalbe |url=https://www.rescue-uk.org/article/memoriam-mary-anne-schwalbe |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=International Rescue Committee (IRC) |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/about/our-history/ |website=Women's Refugee Commission |access-date=25 April 2022}} Her brother Will Schwalbe is an author, editor, and entrepreneur.{{cite news |title=Will Schwalbe: 'The End Of Your Life Book Club' |url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2012/11/22/schwalbe-book-club |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=WBUR |date=November 22, 2012 |language=en}}
Schwalbe was an undergraduate student in Russian and Soviet Studies at Harvard Radcliffe Colleges, where she was the recipient of the Aloian-Beal Leadership Award.{{Cite web |title=The Reporter's Notebook {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1986/11/3/the-reporters-notebook-pblook-out-holyoke/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}{{Cite web |title=Spark Street Advisors {{!}} Strategy {{!}} Nina Schwalbe |url=https://www.sparkstreetadvisors.org/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=Spark Street_nov19 |language=en}} Immediately after graduation, Schwalbe joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Thailand.{{cn|date=April 2022}} In 1993, Schwalbe received a Master's in Public Health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health,{{Cite web |title=Nina Schwalbe - Agenda Contributor |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/nina-r-schwalbe/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}} where she concentrated on maternal child health, as well as a certificate from Columbia's Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of the Soviet Union.{{Cite web |title=Harriman Institute Theses and Dissertations, 1947-2018 {{!}} Columbia University Archives {{!}} Columbia University Libraries Finding Aids |url=https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-ua/ldpd_7927745/dsc/1 |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=findingaids.library.columbia.edu}}
Career
Schwalbe started her career in Thailand and Russia, working for the Soros Foundation and establishing the public health program in Moscow. On returning to the United States she was made Director of Public Health Programs at the Open Society Institute/Soros Foundation.{{Cite web |title=Speaker Nina Schwalbe - Women Leaders in Global Health Conference |url=https://wlghconference.org/speaker-nina-schwalbe |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=Women Leaders in Global Health |language=en-US}} Amongst other global initiatives, Schwalbe worked with Paul Farmer and Partners in Health to treat drug resistant tuberculosis in Russian prisons.{{Cite book |last=Cocker |first=Richard, Atun, Rifat, McKee, Martin |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/476114275 |title=Health systems and the challenge of communicable disease: experiences from Europe and Latin America |date=2008 |publisher=Open University Press/McGraw-Hill |isbn=978-0-335-23365-6 |location=Maidenhead |language=English |oclc=476114275}}{{Cite journal |last1=Schwalbe |first1=Nina |last2=Harrington |first2=Persephone |date=2002-12-01 |title=HIV and tuberculosis in the former Soviet Union |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)11805-8/abstract |journal=The Lancet |language=English |volume=360 |pages=s19–s20 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11805-8 |issn=0140-6736 |pmid=12504488|s2cid=38843056 |url-access=subscription }} She was on the founding board of the Stop TB Partnership and spearheaded the development of first Global Plan to Stop TB.{{Cite book |last=Sudetic |first=Chuck |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/723450976 |title=The philanthropy of George Soros : building open societies |date=2011 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=978-1-58648-859-8 |edition=1 |location=New York |oclc=723450976}}
In 2005, Schwalbe was made Director of Policy at the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.{{cite web |title=TB Alliance Appoints Nina Schwalbe as Director of Policy |date=4 July 2005|url=https://www.tballiance.org/news/tb-alliance-appoints-nina-schwalbe-director-policy}} In this capacity, she developed collaborations and coalitions between governments of low and lower-middle income and OECD countries, UN bodies and members of the G8 to accelerate the regulatory approval and procurement and distribution of new therapeutics for tuberculosis.
Schwalbe joined GAVI, the vaccine alliance, in 2007, serving as Deputy Executive Secretary and Managing Director for Policy and Performance.{{Cite web |title=Nina Schwalbe - International Institute for Global Health |url=https://iigh.unu.edu/about/the-team/researchers/nina-schwalbe |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=iigh.unu.edu |language=en-US}} In her seven years at Gavi, Schwalbe developed policies and strategy on vaccine investment, market shaping, monitoring and evaluation, and performance management. She worked on the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and GAVI's first gender policy.{{Cite web |title=Gender policy to support equal access to vaccination for girls and boys |url=https://www.gavi.org/news/media-room/gender-policy-support-equal-access-vaccination-girls-and-boys |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.gavi.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Gender policy |url=https://www.gavi.org/programmes-impact/programmatic-policies/gender-policy |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.gavi.org |date=15 October 2019 |language=en}} In 2011, Schwalbe successfully negotiated with pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to expand the Gavi portfolio to include affordable Human papillomavirus vaccines.{{cite web |title=Working towards affordable pricing for HPV vaccines for developing countries: The role of GAVI |url=https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2411/2018/09/07_WorkingPaper_No3_GAVI.pdf}}{{cite news |title=Fund backs cervical cancer vaccine in poor nations |website=Reuters|date=17 November 2011|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cancer-hpv-vaccine/fund-backs-cervical-cancer-vaccine-in-poor-nations-idINTRE7AG0Y920111117}}{{cite news |title=Vaccines group plans to buy cervical cancer shots |newspaper=Boston.com|date=17 November 2011|url=http://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/11/17/vaccines_group_plans_to_buy_cervical_cancer_shots/|last1=Cheng|first1=Maria}} Schwalbe was Chair of the GAVI Evaluation Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2021.{{cite web |title=Evaluation studies |date=5 June 2024 |url=https://www.gavi.org/programmes-impact/our-impact/evaluation-studies}}
Schwalbe worked as UNICEF's principal advisor and acting chief of health, where she oversaw health programs in over 150 countries. She was responsible for delivering over 1 billion vaccines annually to children around the world.{{Cite web |title=Nina Schwalbe - International Institute for Global Health |url=https://iigh.unu.edu/about/the-team/researchers/nina-schwalbe |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=iigh.unu.edu |language=en-US}} Working with experts, frontline providers, and communities worldwide, Schwalbe developed the UNICEF Strategy for Health 2016-2030, which lays out a detailed vision for ending preventable maternal, newborn and child death and promoting the health of all children and adolescents.{{Cite web |title=Strategy for Health 2016-2030 |url=https://www.unicef.org/media/58166/file}} Schwalbe was member of the interagency design team for the Global Financing Facility for Maternal, Child, Newborn and Adolescent Health (GFF) a partnership housed at the World Bank.{{Cite web |title=OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK for the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health |url=http://www.everywomaneverychild.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/EWEC_OpFramework_Full_EN_2017_web-1.pdf}}
= COVID-19 response =
In 2021, Schwalbe established and served as the first director of COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Delivery Initiative at USAID,{{cite web |title=Restaurants, gyms vow to keep fighting for aid after dose of cold water from White House |website=Politico|date=5 January 2022 |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2022/01/05/restaurants-gyms-vow-to-keep-fighting-for-aid-after-dose-of-cold-water-from-white-house-799691}} where she coordinated distribution of 1 billion vaccine doses to low- and lower-middle income countries and the development of the GlobVax, an all of government effort to accelerate US vaccine delivery assistance around the world. Schwalbe also co-chaired WHO-UNESCO Research Network Working Group on Educational Institutions and COVID-19.{{Citation |title=Nina Schwalbe: How do we get vaccines to the people who need them most? | date=17 June 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S7vIUwgy4Y |language=en |access-date=2022-04-19}}
Other activities
Schwalbe sits as Commissioner for The Lancet on gender and health,{{cite journal |title=The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health |year=2020|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31547-6|last1=Hawkes|first1=Sarah|last2=Allotey|first2=Pascale|last3=Elhadj|first3=As Sy|last4=Clark|first4=Jocalyn|last5=Horton|first5=Richard|journal=The Lancet|volume=396|issue=10250|pages=521–522|pmid=32763153|pmc=7402649|s2cid=220962775}} a commissioner for the Women's Refugee Commission, and serves as a Principal Visiting Fellow at the United Nations International Institute for Global Health. She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also adjunct assistant professor in the Heilbronn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.{{cite web |title=Nina Schwalbe {{!}} Columbia Public Health |url=https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/people/our-faculty/nrs2 |website=Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health |access-date=22 April 2022 |language=en}}
Personal life
Schwalbe and her partner live in New York City with their two children.{{cite web |title=Nina S. |last=Schwalbe |first=Nina |url=https://www.devex.com/people/nina-s-1428590 |website=Devex |access-date=22 April 2022}}
Selected publications
=Analysis and opinion=
- Allotey P, Binagwaho A, Lehtimaki S, Liwanag HJ, Rhule E, Schwalbe N. Access to Education During Public Health Emergencies: Keep Schools Open. Think20 Italy; September 2021. https://www.t20italy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TF1_PB01_LM02.pdf
- Schwalbe N, Lehtimaki S. The World Should Treat Pandemics Like It Treats Chemical Weapons. Foreign Policy. Published online April 14, 2021. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/14/pandemic-treaty-who-tedros-china-transparency-inspections-data-covid-19-coronavirus/
- Schwalbe N. The US now has vaccines, but no strategy on how to use them to defeat coronavirus. The BMJ Opinion. Published online December 17, 2020. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/12/17/the-us-now-has-vaccines-but-no-strategy-on-how-to-use-them-to-defeat-coronavirus/
- Schwalbe N, Lehtimaki S, Gutiérrez JP. Non-Communicable Diseases and COVID-19: A Perfect Storm. The BMJ Opinion. Published online June 10, 2020. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/06/10/non-communicable-diseases-and-covid-19-a-perfect-storm/
- Schwalbe N, Fearon J. Time's up for journal gender bias. The Lancet. 2018;391(10140):P2601-2602. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31140-1
- Schwalbe N. Global health: generation men. The Lancet. 2017;390(10096):P733. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31939-6
=Journal articles=
- Viner R, Russell S, Saulle R, Stansfield C, Croker H, Packer J, Nicholls D, Goddings AL, Bonell C, Hudson L, Hope S, Ward J, Schwalbe N, Morgan A, Minozzi S. School Closures During Social Lockdown and Mental Health, Health Behaviors, and Well-being Among Children and Adolescents During the First COVID-19 Wave: A Systematic Review. JAMA Pediatrics. Published online January 18, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.5840
- Oliver K, Raut A, Pierre S, Silvera L, Boulos A, Gale A, Baum A, Chory A, David NJ, D'Souza D, Freeman A, Goytia C, Hamilton A, Horowitz C, Islam N, Jeavons J, Knudson J, Li S, Lupi J, Martin R, Maru S, Nabeel I, Pimenova D, Romanoff A, Rusanov S, Swalbe N, Vangeepuram N, Vreeman R, Masci J, Maru D. Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine receipt at two integrated healthcare systems in New York City: a cross-sectional study of healthcare workers. BMJ Open. 2022;12:e05341. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053641
- Aars OK, Clark M, Schwalbe N. Increasing efficiency in vaccine production: A primer for change. Vaccine: X. 2021;8(100104). doi: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590136221000218?via%3Dihub https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvacx.2021.100104]
- Schwalbe N, Wahl B. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Global Health. Lancet. 2020;395(10236):1579-1586. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30226-9
- Kettler H, Lehtimaki S, Schwalbe N. Accelerating Access to Medicines in a Changing World. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2020;98:641-643. doi:10.2471/BLT.19.249664
References
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Category:Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health alumni
Category:Radcliffe College alumni
Category:American public health doctors
Category:American women public health doctors
Category:People of the United States Agency for International Development
Category:Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health faculty