UHC2030 welcomes two new advisors to its Political Advisory Panel

UHC2030 is pleased to welcome two new advisors to the UHC Movement Political Advisory Panel, which provides guidance to the UHC2030 Steering Committee. The Political Advisory Panel helps strengthen political support for UHC by amplifying UHC2030’s messages at high-level events and through their networks of high-level political leaders.

Dr. Sania Nishtar

Member of the Senate of Pakistan (Former Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Federal Minister)

Dr. Sania Nishtar is a member of the Senate of Pakistan. From November 2018 to May 2022, she served as Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Federal Minister, where she held the Cabinet portfolio on poverty alleviation.

Dr. Nishtar is former Chair of several multilateral initiatives including the WHO’s High-Level Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases, The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Healthcare, U.S National Academy of Sciences Global Study on the Quality of Healthcare in LMICs, UN International Institute for Global Health’s Advisory Committee, UN Secretary General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Women’s and Children’s Health and WHO’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.

She is the founder of the NGO Heartfile, has received many international awards for her work and is widely published.

H.E. Ms. Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal

Speaker of the Council of Representatives in Bahrain and President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union

Ms. Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal has presided over the Council of Representatives since 2018 and is the first woman to hold this post in the history of the Kingdom of Bahrain through free and direct elections. She has held several senior and high-ranking roles in the Ministry of Information Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain and has worked as a consultant for planning and development in radio and television broadcasting. She has also made a significant contribution to the creation of the media hub for people with disabilities, which was commissioned by the United Nations Office.

Ms. Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal was a member of the National Committee for Childhood and took part in the task team focused on creating a national plan to advance Bahraini women in decision-making programs. Through her participation the task team was able to influence the Supreme Council for Women's Education and Training Committee.

She also served on the committee that drafted the Child Rights Law and the National Committee for Childhood and established and supervised the first kindergarten in a governmental ministry to serve the Ministry of Information employees.

Ms. Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal is a member of the Preparatory Committee for the 13^th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament and the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. She has also been recommended to join the Inter-Parliamentary Union's High-Level Advisory Group on Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism by representing the Arab Parliamentary Group.

She has been awarded a Fourth Degree State Medal.

Dr. Sania Nishtar and H.E. Ms. Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal will join other panel members in advising on opportunities for UHC2030 to ensure follow-up on commitments made in the UHC Political Declaration in 2019, prepare for a successful HLM on UHC in 2023, and sustain high-level momentum on UHC. 

Read more about the role of the panel and other members