Sachiko Ozawa

Sachiko Ozawa, Ph.D., M.H.S., is a health economist whose work focuses on generating evidence that can be used to improve the health of populations globally. Her research focuses on examining the value of vaccines, assessing the economic burden of diseases and examining the demand and utilization of health care. She is interested in the interface between pharmacy and public health from the perspective of a global health economist.

Ozawa’s previous research estimated the return on investment from childhood immunization in low- and middle-income countries, examined people’s trust in the health system and assessed the transition of global health programs from donors to local governments. Her findings have been used by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization and Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) to advocate for vaccine introduction and coverage increases in low- and middle-income countries. For example, her work has been instrumental in securing the funding replenishment for Gavi of $7.5 billion for 2016–2020 and contributed to a declaration signed by 20 health ministers at the Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa in 2016 to increase the use of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases.

She serves on the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts Global Vaccine Action Plan Working Group on the demand for immunization. She is also a member of the Scientific Committee Review Panel for the International Health Economics Association.

Ozawa received her M.H.S. and Ph.D. from the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is trained in health systems and health economics. Prior to joining the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in fall 2016, she was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Ozawa received magna cum laude from School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover. She is a member of both the Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society and the Delta Omega Public Health Honors Society.

She is actively recruiting highly motivated members at all levels (research associates, graduate students) interested in global health economics research to join her research group.

Ozawa’s School News