Dr. Atul Gawande – Lifebox Co-Founder and Chair – Confirmed to Key Role in Biden Administration

Lifebox congratulates its Chair and Co-Founder – Dr. Atul Gawande – on his confirmation today as the Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

17 December, 2021 – Lifebox congratulates its Chair and Co-Founder – Dr. Atul Gawande – on his confirmation today as the Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

As Chair of Lifebox, Dr. Gawande has overseen Lifebox’s global work to improve the safety of surgery and anesthesia in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Gawande has also served as the Global Ambassador of the Smile Train-Lifebox Safe Surgery and Anesthesia Initiative which is working to strengthen surgical systems worldwide.

"Through Lifebox, an NGO I co-founded, we lowered the cost of oxygen-monitoring equipment for operating rooms in low-income countries by 80 percent."

Dr. Atul Gawande, Lifebox Co-Founder and Chair.

During the pandemic, Dr. Gawande has helped to lead Lifebox’s COVID-19 response, which has supported healthcare providers around the world to provide safe surgical, anesthesia, and COVID-19 care, with the distribution of more than 8,500 pulse oximeters across 49 countries alongside technical guidance.

“We are tremendously proud of Lifebox Co-Founder and Chair, Dr. Atul Gawande, on his confirmation to this critical role at USAID. With vaccine inequity across the globe resulting in COVID-19 continuing to devastate health systems, we look forward to the leadership and strategic vision Dr. Gawande will bring to develop USAID’s global health strategy - particularly with regards to COVID-19.”

Kris Torgeson, Global CEO, Lifebox.

Find out more about Lifebox’s work and our strategic vision and support this critical work with a donation.