Dr Maria Guevara is a multilingual medical humanitarian specialist with a medical doctor profile, trained in pulmonary, critical care and tropical medicine, and a strong background in complex humanitarian settings, global health policy, and advocacy. She has over 20 years of humanitarian experience and over 10 years management practice through her work with Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders. Her extensive humanitarian field work has spanned across countries in Africa, Americas, and Asia in both emergency and stable settings as well as being the organization’s Regional Representative in Asia from 2012 to 2017, and as of February 2021, she currently holds the position of MSF International Medical Secretary.
Dr Guevara was a member of the Advisory Group on Reform of WHO’s Work in Outbreaks and Emergencies with Health and Humanitarian Consequences from July 2015 to January 2016 and has also been a SAFE STEPS First Aid Ambassador for a collaborative pan-Asia program to promote awareness and increase knowledge of first aid skills across the region. She also was a member of the Independent Vaccine Allocation Group associated with the COVAX facility as well as being part of the Advisory Group to the Sunway Center on Planetary Health.
Her special interests and passion are Global Health, Response in Emergencies, Health Security and Planetary Health. She has played an instrumental role and continues to drive concerns regarding Planetary Health, climate change and environmental degradation in MSF and in the health and humanitarian sectors at large.