Sania Nishtar

Sania Nishtar is a Pakistani physician and public-health leader who has served as Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, since March 2024. Her career spans global health, health-policy reform and social protection, including senior public roles in Pakistan and nomination for the 2017 election for Director-General of the World Health Organization.

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About Sania Nishtar

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Pakistan · Physician, Public-health and development expert · 1 affiliation

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Also known as: Dr Sania Nishtar
Known for: Global health; Health policy and health-system reform; Social protection and poverty alleviation
Country: Pakistan

Physician
Public-health and development expert

At a glance

She began serving as Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on 18 March 2024.
She founded the Pakistani health-policy organization Heartfile in 1998.
Her public service in Pakistan has included federal health responsibilities in the 2013 caretaker government and federal-minister-level leadership on social protection and poverty alleviation from 2018 to 2022.
In 2017, the WHO Executive Board selected her as one of three nominees presented for the election of the organization's Director-General.

Leadership at Gavi

Nishtar took office as Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on 18 March 2024. Gavi's Secretariat materials continued to list her in that position as of August 2026, while its Board roster identified her as the holder of the CEO Board-member seat.

Medical training and health-policy work

Nishtar completed medical training in Pakistan in 1986 and received a PhD in Medicine from King's College London in 2002. She founded Heartfile, a Pakistani health-policy NGO and think tank, in 1998, and later co-authored a 2013 Lancet article examining Pakistan's health system after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

Public service in Pakistan

During Pakistan's 2013 caretaker government, Nishtar served as a federal minister with responsibilities that included re-establishing the Ministry of Health. From 2018 to 2022, she served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation with federal-minister status; Gavi also credits her during that period with founding a social-protection programme and chairing the Council on Poverty Alleviation and the Benazir Income Support Program.

International and parliamentary record

The WHO Executive Board selected Nishtar in January 2017 as one of three nominees presented to the World Health Assembly for the election of WHO Director-General. Pakistan Senate records also identify her as having been elected to a women's seat for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the available official records and reporting do not consistently resolve whether she should now be described as a current or former senator.

Affiliations

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Chief Executive Officer 2024-03-18–present

Timeline

1986 Completed medical training in Pakistan.
1998 Founded Heartfile, a Pakistani health-policy NGO and think tank.
2002 Received a PhD in Medicine from King's College London.
2013 Served as a federal minister in Pakistan's caretaker government, including responsibility related to restoration of the Ministry of Health.
2017-01-25 Selected by the WHO Executive Board as one of three nominees for the 2017 WHO Director-General election.
2018 Began a 2018-2022 period of federal social-protection and poverty-alleviation leadership in Pakistan with federal-minister status.
2024-03-18 Began service as Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Additional verified details

Current context

Nishtar is listed as Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi's Secretariat page was last updated on 22 July 2026.
Nishtar is listed in Gavi's CEO Board-member seat. Gavi's Board roster states that the CEO seat is held until a successor is appointed.

Biographical facts

Nishtar completed medical training in Pakistan in 1986 and received a PhD in Medicine from King's College London in 2002.
She founded Heartfile, a Pakistani health-policy non-governmental organization and think tank, in 1998.
During Pakistan's 2013 caretaker government, she served as a federal minister with responsibilities that included re-establishing the Ministry of Health.
From 2018 to 2022, she served as Special Assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation with federal-minister status. Gavi states that she also founded a social-protection programme and chaired the Council on Poverty Alleviation and the Benazir Income Support Program during that period.
The WHO Executive Board selected Nishtar as one of three nominees presented to the World Health Assembly for the 2017 election for WHO Director-General.
She was a co-author of the 2013 Lancet article "Pakistan's health system: performance and prospects after the 18th Constitutional Amendment."
Pakistan Senate records identify Nishtar as a senator representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, elected to a women's seat and affiliated in that record with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.