Vandana Shah

Vandana Shah is Vice President, Health Systems Strengthening for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.  In this role, Vandana provides overall leadership and oversight of several global programs including Data for Health, Prevent Epidemics, Immunization and Drowning Prevention as well spearheading GHAI’s efforts on budget advocacy and improving access to health services for non-communicable diseases including hypertension control.  She leads efforts to position GHAI as a go-to resource for advocacy for Health Systems Strengthening and design.   Working across this cluster, she will also support the launch of new initiatives to reduce barriers to health access and care, increase financing for health systems and improve equity in the health care service delivery with an emphasis on primary health care.   

Previously, Vandana led efforts in South Asia for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and Global Health Advocacy Incubator in her role as the Regional Director. In this role, she has led policy campaign and program development interventions in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other South Asian countries for a range of issues including tobacco control, food policy, cardiovascular health, drowning prevention and gender issues. Formerly, she was the Executive Director of the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, a state foundation where she was responsible for developing and implementing statewide preventive health programs with annual budgets exceeding $30 million. She is the co-founder of KIRAN, a domestic violence organization for South Asians in North Carolina, and has served on the boards of various healthcare and nonprofit organizations in North Carolina. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation, a nonprofit organization that designs and implements innovative healthcare solutions. Shah holds law degrees from Duke and Calcutta University.