Ruth Colagiuri

Biography

Ruth is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health, having joined the Menzies Centre for Health Policy (formerly Australian Health Policy Institute) at The University of Sydney in June 2005 to establish and direct The Diabetes Unit - a focus for policies and strategies for improving diabetes prevention and care and to establish an Oxford Health Alliance presence in the Asia-Pacific Region. Prior to this Ruth co-founded and directed the Australian Centre for Diabetes Strategies at the Prince of Wales Hospital, University of New South Wales. Previously, she managed the ambulatory care Diabetes Centre at the Prince of Wales Hospital, and worked as a Senior Policy Analyst in the NSW Health Department on diabetes as the prototype for a ‘health outcomes’ approach to chronic diseases.

Research Interest

Over the last ten years Ruth has worked extensively on international health having initiated and/or been involved in health policy and health service/system development policy and programs and strategic plans for population health across four continents. She is a co-author of the (Australian) National Diabetes Strategy and Implementation Plan (1998), and author of the Plan of Action for the Western Pacific Diabetes Declaration (2000) and the Diabetes Strategy for (sub-Saharan) Africa (2006). She has conducted extensive health professional training in India and the Pacific Islands and has a strong track record of capacity building for health in Pacific Island countries - initially in Tonga and more recently in Nauru and Vanuatu, managing diabetes projects in up to six Pacific Island countries at a time. She has undertaken a number of consultancies for the WHO, including a diabetes and hypertension plan for Mongolia and for AusAID.