Choosing the path of public health

USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumna Dr. Ximena Garzon-Villalba, who earned her PhD from the college in 2016, has been appointed the public health minister of Ecuador.

Garzon-Villalba, who is also originally from Ecuador, joined the USF COPH as a doctoral student in 2012. Prior to that she was an occupational health physician for 16 years.

“I thought, well, it’s time for me to study something will allow me to help more people at once.”

“One day I was in my office and I was thinking, ‘OK, right now I am helping one patient at a time, but why am I not helping more people?’ So I thought, well, it’s time for me to study something will allow me to help more people at once,” she said.

Thus began her journey into public health and earning her PhD with a concentration in occupational health.

“That was one of my dreams that I made for myself,” she said. “One of my goals in studying at USF was to come back to Ecuador and develop that program here.”

She also developed their master’s in public health online program.

Garzon-Villalba said that being a graduate of a U.S. university added much value to her CV.

“People here appreciate a degree from the U.S. and, of course, USF is known as a very prestigious university because it has so many programs that also collaborate with universities in Ecuador,” she said.

Leading the charge during a pandemic

She was approached by the health ministry to fill the spot of public health minister.

“I felt that this could be a very good opportunity to help change the concept of public health here in Ecuador, which is very limited. I learned so much at USF, and I thought that I could make the concept of public health wider and apply all this knowledge that I got at USF in Ecuador,” she said.

“I learned so much at USF, and I thought that I could make the concept of public health wider and apply all this knowledge that I got at USF in Ecuador.”

Ecuador is going through a very bad epidemiological situation, according to Garzon-Villalba, who says the country now ranks second in Latin America for COVID mortality rates.

She said that Ecuador’s president and vice president have been in contact with her frequently to help develop an intervention to vaccinate at least 9 million Ecuadorians in 100 days, which is about 71 percent of the population.

“Right now, we are applying the intervention with the population, but that goal is not enough to acquire herd immunity, so now we are planning to vaccinate 12 to 15 million people before the end of the year to achieve immunity,” she said.

Building a public health foundation

Garzon-Villalba said she is very thankful for her team.

“I call them the A-team of public health,” she said. “They are professionals with a lot of knowledge and experience in public health. Our goal is to develop and implement ways to control the pandemic and develop the National Public Health Program for Ecuador.”

She said the pandemic has also greatly impacted the health system in Ecuador, which she said is on the brink of collapsing.

“We are developing a program to help the health system become freer and provide more group health to the population,” she said. “We are focused on providing integral health care to the population and enough medicine and equipment. Also, improving the health care in the whole system is vital because of the pandemic.”

A tool to change the future

“Being in this role is a tool to change public health in my country and to help it get away from the pandemic,” she said. “I had an integral education at USF that allowed me to guide a very strong team to help my country to try and rise from the pandemic—socially and economically. I am very proud of what I am doing and what I can do in the future. I am capable of doing it because of my strong education. This new role is a tool to help people.”

“I am very proud of what I am doing and what I can do in the future. I am capable of doing it because of my strong education.”

Garzon-Villalba said she also could not do her job without the support of her family, which includes her husband and son, who is currently a USF student earning his master’s degree in architecture.

“This is not easy at all. I am working very hard, and I appreciate the support of my family, husband and son,” she said. “I am also very grateful for my advisors Dr. Thomas Bernard and Dr. Aurora Sanchez- Anguiano and many others who played an important part in my learning. I couldn’t be what I am right now without their support.”

Related media:

View a recording of Dr. Garzon-Villalba’s official presentation by Ecuador’s president-elect Mr. Guillermo Lasso here.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health