Why We Advocate
PATH advocates share the inspirations behind their work.
For the past 40 years, PATH has been a gathering place for incredible minds. We've developed devices, vaccines, diagnostics, and other medical-related programs to end preventable diseases for a global population. This innovative, bold work is PATH’s origin story.
But this innovation is only part of any global health equation. We also need supporters. And not just any supporters. We need advocates who have an intimate and thorough knowledge of their communities and the health policies that exist there. We need to know how to implement our innovations in ways that actually make a difference.
PATH is incredibly fortunate to have advocates who are relentless in their pursuit of solving the global health inequities that lay before them. These people help our organization think through the environmental and community footprints we create and the systemic barriers that persist. With the help of our advocates, PATH can make more informed decisions about how we engage with policymakers, influencers, and citizens. In other words, it is our advocates' knowledge that allows PATH to transform delivery and access of the medical innovations that will change the lives of people around the world. They are the remarkable denizens hungry for health equity. They provide the context, boldness, and clarity we need. Without these people, PATH wouldn't be what it is today.
We asked a few of our advocates to share their inspiration for dedicating their lives to global health. Here's what they said:
Heather Ignatius
"Every day around the world approximately 14,500 children under 5 die. Nearly 300,000 women die annually during pregnancy or childbirth. As a mother and a global health advocate, I believe these numbers are unacceptable. We have an unprecedented opportunity to reach an ambitious—but real and achievable—goal of ending these preventable deaths. I hope when my daughters grow up, this will be the reality they know."
–Heather Ignatius, Director of US and Global Policy and Advocacy
Rosemarie Muganda
"Growing up in Kenya, the rape of a 14-year-old neighbor and my young cousin's pregnancy spurred me to become an advocate for girls and women. Today, I feel hopeful. At PATH we are developing programs that are improving the health and general well-being of women and girls."
–Rosemarie Muganda, Regional Advocacy Director, Kenya
Pauline Irungu
"Successful advocacy leading to the passage of a law to protect women and their children in Kakamega County encouraged us to continue to press for investments in health—so that every woman and child can fulfill their potential."
–Pauline Irungu, Advocacy and Policy Manager, Kenya
Guy Bokongo
“Advocacy for me is a passion before it is work. I lost my first-born child in 2009 because there was not enough (medical) oxygen in Goma, and that is the moment that led me to be an advocate. I promised myself I would contribute to health policy change in DRC and elsewhere, so that children and their mothers can access better health.”
–Guy Bokongo, Advocacy and Policy Manager, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Erin Fry Sosne
“It is not enough to express outrage or share evidence and wait for change to happen. To realize a world where every child thrives beyond her fifth birthday, we must pair passion with science and strategic action. As a mother and citizen of the world, I cannot sit still.”
–Erin Fry Sosne, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy, US
Esther Nasikye
“When I practiced journalism in the early days of my career, I wrote countless stories about needless deaths of mothers and children due to preventable causes. I did not see the situation changing for the better. I soon discovered that real power lies in working directly with policymakers to allocate enough resources to ensure no mother or child dies from preventable causes. For the last 10 years, this has been the source of my strength and passion that has enabled me to remain a strong advocate for improved maternal, child, and adolescent health.”
–Esther Nasikye, Advocacy and Policy Manager, Uganda
Johnpaul Omollo
“PATH’s advocacy brings the voice of the community to decision-making tables and ensures that policies respond to the needs of the most vulnerable. Our advocacy work also supports countries to move policy to practice and implementation. Without our advocacy, policies would be like an airplane with a tank full of fuel, loaded with passengers who know where they are going—but no pilot. The plane will not leave the ground an inch until a qualified pilot steers it to its destination.”
–Johnpaul Omollo, R&D Advocacy Program Officer, Kenya
Wanjiku Manguyu
"I'm passionate about women and children receiving the best quality health care services that allow them to reach their full potential. We've made so much progress in Kenya, including protecting children from pneumonia, and the future is bright. But there's still much more work to do."
–Wanjiku Manguyu, Policy and Advocacy Officer, Kenya
Rachel Ndirangu
“I have come face-to-face with the grave consequences of inequalities in different contexts across Africa. I know that I have a role to play in challenging inequitable systems and structures and in advancing a fairer and more inclusive society in which all people—particularly vulnerable women, children, and adolescents—enjoy better health and well-being. Acting together makes us stronger!”
–Rachel Ndirangu, Regional Policy & Advocacy Officer for Africa
Deogratias Agaba
"In the early nineties, my sister got pregnant while she was a teenager. She went through a difficult labor and even lost her child. She later suffered irreversible postnatal depression that resulted into seizures that eventually caused her death. My choice of becoming a health advocate was informed by this. I feel encouraged to carry on whenever I see policies shifting in favor of improved health service delivery, especially for women and children."
–Deogratias Agaba, Senior Communications Officer, Uganda
Monica Mutesa
"After my sister passed away from AIDS, I refused to accept that this pandemic could defeat the collective efforts of mankind. I became a health advocate. Today, what keeps my fire burning is the many women and children whose lives we are helping to improve."
–Monica Mutesa, Technical Advisor, Zambia
Douglas Waudo
"I have witnessed and documented the impact of a failed health system on the lives of people, especially children and women. That is why I am passionate about advocating for the need to strengthen the health system so it delivers high-quality, affordable, and easily accessible health services—saving lives and significantly contributing to the socio-economic development of all people. No nation develops and succeeds without a healthy population."
–Douglas Waudo, Regional Communications, Advocacy and Media Officer for East and Southern Africa
Taonga Chilalika
“Many people wish that things could be different, but few do something about it. Being part of the process that allows innovators to imagine and do work that can change the lives of so many, but mainly the lives of the most marginalized in our world, makes getting up and showing up worthwhile.”
–Taonga Chilalika, Advocacy and Policy Associate, South Africa
Milka Dinev
"A major source of pain and suffering among poor women in Peru is the inability to control their fertility and be masters of their futures. I am an advocate because I believe that sexual and reproductive rights should not be conditioned by how much you have, where you live, who you know, or how much you know."
–Milka Dinev, Regional Advisor, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, Peru
Learn more about PATH's Advocacy and Policy program here.