Anita Zaidi

Anita Kaniz Mehdi Zaidi (born 1964) is a Pakistani physician. She is the President of the Gender Equality Division and Director of Vaccine Development, Global Health Surveillance, Diarrhea and Enteric Diseases at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She has previously served as Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Aga Khan University.

Early life and education Zaidi was born in the United Kingdom. Her mother is a paediatrician and her father was an anesthesiologist. Her father was appointed the national physician of the Pakistan men's national field hockey team, and Zaidi would often accompany him on their tours. During her degree she enjoyed her courses in community health and spent time working in the Pakistan’s urban squatter settlements (katchi abadis).

After graduating Zaidi worked on a United States Agency for International Development program in remote northern Pakistani territories (now Gilgit-Baltistan), which inspired her to dedicate her career to global public health.

Research and career In 2002, after completing her specialist training, Zaidi returned to Pakistan. She was one of the youngest faculty members to be promoted to full professor when she became chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Aga Khan University. In 2011 she was awarded an endowed position; the Ruby and Karim Bahudar Ali Jessani Professor and Chair. At Aga Khan University Zaidi established a state-of-the-art laboratory that investigates paediatric infectious diseases. She was the first recipient of the Caplow's Children's Prize for her work supporting poverty-stricken communities in Karachi in 2013. She used the prize to reduce neonatal deaths in Rehri Goth. Her efforts focussed on eliminating malnutrition, improving access to healthcare and vaccinations and training for community health professionals. She developed programs that supported mother and child health before, during and after children were born. Zaidi estimated that the program would reduce child mortality by 65%, saving the lives of 200 children over two years. In this capacity Zaidi supports the development of new vaccinations to protect communities around the world.

In June 2020 the Gates Foundation announced a new division dedicated to gender equality, with Zaidi being its first president. As of March 2021, Zaidi still also directs Vaccine Development, Surveillance, Diarrhea and Enteric Diseases at the Foundation.

Zaidi uses social media to share her work in public health using the Twitter handle @AnitaEDD. She has written for The Conversation, the Skoll Foundation, Project Syndicate and HuffPost.

Other activities Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Member of the Board (since 2022) Co-Impact, Member of the Gender Fund Advisory Board WomenLift Health, Member of the Global Advisory Board

Selected publications Her publications include;

Recognition 2021 – Jimmy and Rosalynn Cater Humanitarian Award, presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Personal life Zaidi is married to Prof. Dr. Saad Shafqat, Professor of Neurology at Agha Khan, sharing a daughter and a son together.