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​DR. FERNANDO RUIZ

The Minister of Health and Social Protection is a doctor with a master's degree in Economics from Universidad Javeriana. He also earned a master's degree in Public Health/Occupational Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD in Public Health, from Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública of Mexico. His professional career highlights his position held as Vice Minister of Public Health during the 2013-2016 period.

Before serving as Minister, he was Scientific Director of the Cancer Treatment and Research Center project. He was also a health sector consultant for the World Bank; he directed the project and start of operation of the first Comprehensive Center for Cancer Care in Latin America; and he was director of the Center for Development Projects (CENDEX) of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Dr. Ruiz was regional health director in Bogotá, where he implemented the district health policy in the most vulnerable area of the city; and was co-founder and first President of the Colombian Association for Health Economics (Acoes).

He has directed projects as a consultant for organizations such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan-American Organization on different health issues. He has also served on the Executive Committee of the World Health Organization.

Dr. Ruiz has also been a researcher at Colciencias and a professor at the Seminar on Health Insurance and Markets of the master's degree in Health Economics at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. For more than two decades, he has developed research in health systems and services, and on health insurance issues.