File:I Am CDC - Nelly Mejia.webm

My general interest in economics started when I was a child and wanted to fight poverty.

I got interested in health when I was getting my PhD from Rand and got involved in studies that use preventive care to improve the health of the population.

At CDC, I analyze data to see if a policy or intervention related to vaccination in poor countries is cost-effective.

Vaccines prevent diseases and save costs.

My job is to estimate the costs and the benefits.

The results of these evaluations contribute to extending the use of vaccines where they are needed and effective, and help us to control and prevent diseases.

I do most of my work at my desk.

However, sometimes I go into the field to collect data, train in-country teams about health economics, and help countries use economic information in their public health decisions.

For example, I evaluated the cost of an intervention referring children for birth registration and vaccinations in rural Zambia, and I estimated the cost of typhoid fever in countries with high disease rates such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan to inform decisions about the value of introducing typhoid vaccines in specific contexts.

My work at CDC is exciting.

It allows me to apply my economic knowledge to help stop the spread of diseases through vaccination and improve the health of people around the world.

I am Nelly Mejia and I am CDC

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