IHME Women in Health Metrics Spotlight: Dr. Leizel Lagrada, Associate Professor at University of the Philippines, Manila

Can you share any challenges you’ve faced as a woman in this field and how you overcame them?

In my experience, women in leadership – whether in global health or local settings – often encounter systemic biases alongside the challenge of balancing professional and personal responsibilities. I navigated these barriers by prioritizing policy development and evidence-based advocacy, and fostering international collaborations. My leadership roles at the Local Government Units where I served as Municipal Health Officer, DOH and PhilHealth, academic contributions, and global engagements have not only strengthened health policy but also created opportunities for mentorship and empowering other women in the field.

What advice would you give to young women interested in entering this field?

I would advise young women to:

• Gain experience at the community level to understand real-world health care challenges. Gaining insights from working with communities and having lived experience cannot be replaced by formal academic degrees.
• Seek mentorship and build a strong professional network – the same advice I got from my supervisor early on in my career.
• Engage in policy research and advocacy to influence systemic change. As a medical doctor, I was trained to treat patients, but as a public health practitioner, I’ve seen how well-designed evidence-based policies can bring forth systemic change.
• Pursue continuous learning, not only through formal trainings, but also learn from other practitioners through local and international collaboration.
• Be persistent and committed to making a difference – leadership in global health is about impact, not just titles.

How did you get involved with the GBD/IHME, and how has it impacted the way you do your work?

While my work was not directly with the GBD or IHME in the past, I have been using global health metrics to inform policy and decision-making as well as in developing my teaching materials for health equity and health systems strengthening. For instance, in developing the expanded PhilHealth outpatient benefit package called Tsekap (PhilHealth Circular no. 2 s. 2015), we used YLLs and YLDs to communicate the burden of diseases that will be addressed by expanding the primary care benefits covered by Philhealth. Evidence-based policymaking remains central to my approach, ensuring that interventions are backed by robust data and analysis.

Recently, our university, the University of the Philippines Manila, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with IHME to collaborate in developing joint research projects and teaching programs with the ultimate goal of improving public health outcomes. I expect that this collaboration will further strengthen evidence-informed decision-making in our country.

Can you share any ongoing projects or research you’re involved in that you are particularly proud of?

Although we are still in the early stages of program implementation and partnership building, our efforts to spotlight health equity through the Program for Health Equity are essential – not only in deepening stakeholders’ understanding of this goal within the context of UHC but also in showcasing local initiatives that tackle the root causes of health disparities. This includes actively engaging stakeholders through the Health Equity Learning Series and collaboratively developing the Health Equity Roadmap with the Philippine Department of Health and WHO.

How do you see the future of global health and health metrics science evolving with more women in leadership roles?

We can expect more inclusive and gender-responsive health policies as more women assume leadership roles in global health. Women leaders bring unique insights into health care access challenges, particularly for maternal and child health, reproductive health, and social determinants of health. My experience has shown that diverse leadership fosters more holistic and sustainable health system reforms.

However, there is a need for better measures of women’s leadership in health system governance to ensure gender equity in decision-making and policy influence. While gender representation in leadership positions is often tracked, we need to have clearer insights into how gender-diverse leadership influences health outcomes, policy effectiveness, and health system resilience. It is also important to capture diversity within women leaders, including factors like ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and regional representation.

Can you share any success stories of significant impact in policy due to your research/policy work?

Two decades before the enactment of the Philippine Universal Health Care Act in 2019, my work with the Department of Health contributed to advancing health reform policies and projects aimed at strengthening the country’s health care system. This included increasing investments in health facilities, even those under the jurisdiction of local governments, building local capacity in health planning and governance, and optimizing health financing strategies – particularly by streamlining mechanisms to ensure consistent PhilHealth coverage for poor families. At PhilHealth, my contributions helped shape policy development, particularly in expanding primary care benefits, including those for maternal and child health, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV, as well as improving accreditation standards. Now, at the UP Manila College of Public Health, my work is centered on developing future health leaders and equipping them with evidence-based insights to drive effective policymaking.

How can we better recognize and celebrate the achievements of women in this field?

Recognizing women’s achievements is not just about celebration – it should also be about creating pathways for future generations to lead and innovate in global health. This can be done by strengthening mentorship programs that support young women entering global health and advocating for equal representation and voice in leadership roles and decision-making bodies.