Agnes Binagwaho

"All life is very precious, but the beginning is magic"."

""You are a human being and you just come out of water, discover the world and you scream."

"For the majority of births on Earth, I think, it's a joy, this new life. It's a mission that each human has — protecting life, giving life, continuing life."

"This call to action need not be answered alone; let us work together as a global team to change the status quo and demand health equity for all"

"Equity in health is not a luxury. It is a human right."

"If we want to build strong nations, we must start by protecting the health of our children."

"Data saves lives, because with evidence we can design better policies and hold ourselves accountable."

"Health systems must put people first, not institutions or politics."

"The strength of women continues to inspire me."

"Come back home and help transform the whole of Africa into a land that has a promised future for you and the generation to come."

"Be the best at what you do, that’s first. And second, focus on the most vulnerable, and never try to save the people without them participating."

"Before putting physiology and biochemistry in the heads of our students, we need to put global health principles in their hearts."

"We don’t know what tomorrow brings, but we need to apply that."

"We have a different style of leadership, more inclusive, more empathetic, more caring for little children and this makes the difference."

"When I was a little mouse, I tried to make as much noise as a lion. When I became stronger, I made less noise because the objective was to change. And sometimes to change, you better study and try to do it without screaming too much."

"Gender inequity is the norm in the majority of professions even in global health."

"I have learned that if we focus on women’s education, we improve positively ,just as the well-being of the community will change."

"My dream at the end of every day is to close my eyes, knowing that the access to prevention, care and treatment has improved for Rwandan children and people of the world."

"We believe that everyone, including the most vulnerable, deserves quality healthcare. Healthcare is a right and not a commodity."

"Even if we are happy that they have a house, that they have access to basic sanitation and basic care, it is row upon row of people who are suffering, and you can feel it."

"The more our students are spread across the world to serve vulnerable populations, the more we will be able to change the world."

"Equity is in the heart," she says. "Meaning you always make sure to include everybody, leave nobody out."

"I challenge global leaders to build upon these lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS response and apply it pos­itively to the challenge of MNS disorders."

"We, as global leaders, have a moral obligation to advocate for comprehensive, effective services backed by human-rights-oriented legal frameworks to protect those living with MNS disorders as part of this quest toward mean­ingful universal health coverage."