IMA World Health, USA

Steering Committee representative: Richard L. Santos, President and CEO of IMA World Health, Vice Chair, Gavi CSO Steering Committee

Rick Santos is the President and Chief Executive Officer of IMA World Health. In the last four years at IMA, Rick has led the organization through a period of transition that has included significant organizational growth and visibility. Before coming to IMA, Rick had over two decades of experience in faith-based relief and development work. He has been responsible for providing leadership to large and complicated relief and development programs in the field and has served as a senior manager at the headquarters of two different global development organizations, where he provided strategic guidance and helped develop new areas of focus. Rick has a decade of field experience in Asia, and has worked with faith-based and secular organizations in nearly every part of the world. His developmental approach includes prioritizing local partnerships and capacity building, which he believes is the key ingredient to successful development work. Rick holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School of Business, a Masters of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from George Washington University. 

IMA World Health is a Maryland/DC based non-profit that implements life-saving public health programs in developing countries. Inspired by the Christian call to serve, IMAfocues its efforts in some of the most impoverished and challenged places in the world. IMA's scope of expertise includes over fifty years of on-the-ground experience in disease prevention and control, maternal and child health, health system development and strengthening, women's empowerment, local capacity building and procurement and distribution. In all that they do, IMA prioritize partnership and collaboration to support local communities in protecting and saving lives.  IMA is known for its highly efficient, innovative, and context-specific programs that have achieved impressive results.