Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Winnie Yip
Dr. Winnie Yip, Professor of the Practice of Global Health Policy and Economics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is a leading scholar in health policy and health systems reform, whose work brings together scholarship, policy engagement, and leadership development to improve health systems performance worldwide. At Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, her research focuses on diagnosing why some nations’ health systems perform better than others using a comparative lens and helping policymakers design and implement reforms that expand equitable access to quality healthcare, strengthen financial protection, and improve health outcomes. In India, these efforts have evolved into long-standing collaborations with government leaders, researchers, and international institutions, dedicated to building a more equitable and sustainable health system.
Through the India Health Systems Reform Project, Dr. Yip and her colleagues have worked to generate evidence that can inform policy decisions, while also building the capacity of health leaders to address complex systemic challenges. The project’s mission is rooted in the belief that effective reform requires both rigorous analysis and strong policy design and implementation capacity in the country. By combining research, policy dialogue, and executive training, the project seeks to support sustainable improvement in health systems across India.
One of the project’s most significant undertakings has been the Odisha Health Systems Assessment. Conducted in 2019-2022, the assessment represented one of the first comprehensive health system evaluations undertaken at the state level in India. The study examined how Odisha’s health system was performing across critical dimensions, including access to care, quality of services, financial risk protection, efficiency, and citizen satisfaction.
Among its key findings, the assessment showed that residents faced substantial financial hardship from healthcare spending, with out-of-pocket expenditures on medicines purchased through the private sector accounting for up to 69% of total health spending. The research also found that 54% of residents sought outpatient care from private-sector providers, including chemist shops, and that even when patients accessed public facilities, approximately ~70% purchased their medicines from private pharmacies, reflecting both medicine shortages and access challenges within the public system. The study further highlighted concerns about quality of care across providers and widespread dissatisfaction with the health system, with 91% of surveyed respondents reporting that the system needed improvement. By identifying the root causes of these challenges, the project generated evidence to inform policies aimed at improving quality, financial protection, and equitable access to care in Odisha and beyond.
A second pillar of Dr. Yip’s work in India is leadership development. Since 2017, she has
directed the National Flagship Course on Health Systems Strengthening for India, an
executive education program originally developed jointly by Harvard faculty and the World
Bank. The course was hosted by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. Designed for senior policymakers and decisionmakers, the course equips participants with practical tools to assess health system performance, diagnose underlying causes of underperformance, and design reforms that are evidence-based, ethically grounded, and politically feasible. The curriculum combines lectures, case studies, group work and debate, creating opportunities for leaders from across India to learn from one another, while tackling real world health system challenges.
The course has brought together policymakers from multiple states and national institutions, helping strengthen leadership capacity and foster collaboration across India’s public health landscape. Built upon the Flagship Framework, in collaboration with the Public Health Foundation of India, an online version is also offered. The capacity building program reflects Dr. Yip’s commitment to translating research into action, and empowering leaders to drive effective and feasible changes within their own health systems.
Together, the Odisha Health Systems Assessment and the National Flagship Course illustrate Dr. Yip’s broader vision for health systems reform: combining rigorous evidence with practical leadership, supporting lasting improvements in population health. Through these partnerships in India, she continues to contribute to efforts that strengthen health systems, expand access to quality care, and improve health outcomes for communities across the country.