Women in Global Health honored IntraHealth International’s Jeanne Tessougué as a Heroine of Health Sunday during the 72^nd annual World Health Assembly in Geneva. Tessougué was one of seven women honored for their leadership in improving health care and advancing gender equality. 

The annual Heroines of Health awards highlight women’s major contributions to the global health care industry. Women currently hold 70% of jobs in the industry and contribute nearly $3 trillion to the health and social sectors, according to Women in Global Health, yet comprise a small percentage of global health leadership roles.

As chief of party for the USAID/Mali Human Resources for Health Activity, Tessougué leads all aspects of the five-year project to strengthen Mali’s health workforce, scaling up advances in maternal and child survival, and protecting citizens from emerging health threats, such as Ebola and pandemic influenza.

Dr. Jeanne Tessougué is a force for women and girls throughout Mali.

Tessougué has deep expertise in community health and more than ten years of experience working in health systems strengthening. She manages the implementation, design, and monitoring and evaluation of health programs using a participatory community approach to reduce maternal, newborn, and infant mortality. 

Tessougué has spent her career advocating for underserved populations, human rights, rural women, and youth in Mali. She has contributed to multiple programs that promote integrated family planning and reproductive health services in both rural and urban environments through civil engagement and public-private partnerships.

“Dr. Jeanne Tessougué is a force for women and girls throughout Mali,” says Michele Broemmelsiek, IntraHealth’s chief program officer. “Congratulations to Jeanne and to all the Heroines of Health for this well-deserved recognition of their remarkable efforts to improve health care.”

The other 2019 Heroines of Health are:

• Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister of health in Uganda and a longtime champion of improving community health to achieve universal health coverage.
• Sandra Oyarzo Torres, a midwife, teacher, educator, advocate for sexual and reproductive health rights, and champion of gender equality who has worked with communities across Latin and Central America.
• Farzana Ibrahim, one of the first female reconstructive plastic surgeons in Bangladesh.
• Albertha Freeman, a community health services supervisor, the nurse cadre that oversees community health workers in Liberia’s national community health program.
• Stéphanie Roche, a midwife and head of the maternity unit in Marigot, Haiti, where she is known for her success in preventing maternal deaths.
• Fiona Sampson, founder and CEO of Equality Effect, an international network of human rights advocates working collaboratively to ensure governments in Commonwealth countries uphold, enforce, and protect the rights of women and girls.

Read more about Women in Global Health and the Heroines for Health here.

Read more about IntraHealth’s work in Mali here.