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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.— Rachel Nugent, Ph.D. Vice President and Director for the Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, has been honored as a Luminary Leader at the inaugural Global Health Impact Awards.
Sponsored by the Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA), this award honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and a relentless commitment to the global health community.
Nugent was recognized for her four decades of work as a health economics researcher and policy advisor, leading the global narrative that cost-effective policy interventions can reduce noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—in low- and middle-income countries, saving millions of lives and trillions in economic productivity. Her economic arguments are compelling governments around the world to create and enforce smart policies to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases, which account for over 70% of global deaths but receive just 3% of development assistance for health.
“Rachel has shown a continued commitment to reducing the burden of NCDs for decades and we know that her work does not stop there,” said Paul Weisenfeld, Executive Vice President of International Development at RTI. “Under Rachel’s leadership, RTI’s Center for Global NCDs has made significant impacts in confronting NCDs in all stages—helping the global community to better understand the burden of these conditions and the cost-effective interventions that can strengthen prevention and control of NCDs around the world.”
Nugent joined RTI in 2016 to lead the former Global NCD Initiative, which under her leadership has become the Center for Global NCDs within the International Development Group’s Global Health Division. At the Center, Nugent’s team of seven researchers and a consistent roster of interns and consultants work to prevent and manage the negative health, economic, and social impacts of NCDs.
Under Nugent’s leadership, the Center partners with governments, non-governmental organizations, private foundations, and multilateral organizations to confront NCDs by designing, implementing, and evaluating policy, prevention, and treatment interventions.
“These award winners epitomize the importance and impact of global health innovation, research, and education to address both long-standing health challenges and inequities and immediate crises, such as the current COVID pandemic,” said Maurizio Vecchione, President and CEO of WGHA.
The award winners were honored on October 14 at the Washington Global Health Alliance’s inaugural Global Health Impact Awards.
For more information about Nugent’s work and the RTI International Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases, visit: www.rti.org/globalncds.
To learn more or to set up an interview, contact news@rti.org
