Dr. Nata Menabde, the executive director of the World Health Organization of the United Nations, will testify Thursday before the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on the goal of achieving worldwide sustainable healthcare and how it applies to Washington state.

“It is extremely rare that a state legislature has the opportunity to hear testimony from someone with the expertise and stature of Dr. Menabde,” said Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver and the chair of the committee. “As someone who has led efforts to improve health care in numerous nations around the world, Dr. Menabde can offer a truly global perspective on universal health care and what steps we can take here in Washington state.”

Cleveland noted that, prior to leading the United Nation’s World Health Organization, Menabde led the Indian government’s efforts on a wide range of health care challenges, has oversaw European research into the relationship between health and wealth, and forged partnerships with nearly a dozen world organizations to elevate health issues on the political agendas of many nations.

“You could fill an entire hearing just running through Dr. Menabde’s full resume,” Cleveland said. “We are incredibly fortunate to have the benefit of her knowledge.”

Menabde holds a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology as well as diplomas in Health Management and Leadership from schools here in the states and in Health Care Economics from the United Kingdom. She also studied Public Health at the Nordic School of Public Health in Sweden.

The 10 a.m. hearing will focus on a number of bills to improve health care, including:

  • Senate Bill 5957, which would establish the Healthy Washington program to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage for all residents of the state;
  • SB 5984, which addresses access to health care for all state residents with Apple Health on the state Health Benefit Exchange;
  • SB 6047, which would ensure access to affordable health care coverage for children; and
  • SB 6304, which would ensure continued access to Medicaid services for Washingtonians.