Shahrzad Yavari: Inside the Cold Chain

Meg welcomes Shahrzad Yavari, COVAX Cold & Supply Chain Consultant at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is an organization working to improve vaccination efforts globally.Shahrzad is a public health strategist and avid women’s rights advocate who has dedicated much of her efforts to creating opportunities for women globally. Her background in psychology helped to shape her interest in community-driven solutions for various challenges in the healthcare and education sectors, among others.Her most recent achievements include her work with Gavi, where COVAX has been a lifeline in vaccination efforts for many countries, responsible for delivering more than 1 billion vaccines worldwide. She also established and scaled an innovative vaccine cold chain program installed in over 17,000 health facilities across 23 countries.In this episode, Meg and Shahrzad discuss the complex network working to solve disparities in equitable vaccination efforts; the Cold Chain and Shahrzad’s relevant expertise; her upbringing and how that affected her career path; her advice for those entering the field; and more.Producer Calvin Marty joins Meg to tell Shahrzad’s story in a new format.  Further Reading: GaviCovaxPaul FarmerUrban Health Resource CentreEpisode Credits: The Game-Changing Women of Healthcare is a production of The Krinsky Company. Hosted by Meg Escobosa. Produced by Meg Escobosa, Calvin Marty, Chelsea Ho, Medina Sabic, and Wendy Nielsen.Edited, engineered, and mixed by Calvin Marty. All music composed and performed by Calvin Marty. ©2022 The Krinsky Company