Prestigious international medical journal spotlights Schwalbe’s decades of global health leadership and her campaign to bring public health expertise back to Congress

Nina Schwalbe, Democratic candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District, is the subject of a major profile published April 2, 2026, in The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious medical journals. The profile highlights Schwalbe’s extraordinary career in global health and her urgent call to restore scientific expertise and evidence-based leadership to the U.S. Congress.

The profile details Schwalbe’s trajectory from witnessing a measles outbreak at the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand, which first drew her to public health, to leading vaccine procurement and delivery programs that reached more than 100 countries. Her career has spanned senior roles at UNICEF, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, USAID, the Open Society Foundations, and the TB Alliance. At USAID, she founded and served as the first Director of the COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Delivery Initiative.

“I’m running because we are in deep trouble, and we can do better,” Schwalbe said. “We don’t have any congressional expertise in public health. This administration is fueling disinformation, propagating false science, stopping vaccine programs, denying climate change, slashing health and education programs. We urgently need to restore the CDC, the NIH, the FDA, and all the underlying infrastructure, talent, and expertise that keep us safe.”

The Lancet profile features tributes from global leaders across health and government. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark praised Schwalbe’s “transformative leadership,” noting her track record at Gavi in cutting the cost of lifesaving medicines for the world’s poorest. Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar described her as “an astute strategic thinker as well as a passionate advocate” with a record of lasting impact. WHO’s Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health Pascale Allotey called her “a consistent and principled champion of equity, gender equality, and social justice” who combines intellectual precision with deep moral clarity.

Schwalbe holds a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University. She is a Senior Scholar at Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and founder of Spark Street Advisors, a think tank advisory service. Her family has lived in New York’s 12th Congressional District for six generations. Schwalbe is running in a competitive Democratic primary field. The primary is scheduled for June 23.

“This moment demands new leadership that protects what matters, rebuilds stronger, and prepares for tomorrow,” Schwalbe said. “Our current administration is destroying health and trust in science, and there is no leadership in Congress stopping it. I will stand up for health, for science, and for democracy.”

About Nina Schwalbe

Nina Schwalbe is a global health expert and Democratic candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District. She has spent her career working to expand access to medicines and vaccines, negotiate lower drug prices for low-income nations, and build the global health infrastructure that keeps communities safe. She holds a PhD and MPH in public health and has worked in nearly 100 countries. Learn more at ninafornyc.com.

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“I’m running because we are in deep trouble, and we can do better,” Schwalbe said. “We urgently need to restore the CDC, the NIH, the FDA, and the underlying infrastructure, talent and expertise to keep us safe.”