DFAT health strategy

Benedict David is DFATs Principal Health Sector Specialist covering health issues across the Australian government’s international aid program. He returned to Australia to take up this position after 15 years working for the British Government and private sector on international development and health.

He has a background in health policy, health sector reform, health financing and economic development in low and middle income countries.  He has worked on health and HIV/AIDS policy, program design and implementation in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central, South and East Asia, and the Pacific.

Ben has a background in health systems policy, planning and financing; programme design, and organisational/ institutional reform  with  experience in a range of country contexts including China , Zambia, Kosovo, Cambodia and others.  He has a strong background in aid effectiveness in health, including a central role in designing and negotiating the “International Health Partnership” on behalf of the UK government.  He has worked on both international development policy and the interface with domestic cross government agendas (e.g. PMs Office, Defence, Health, Home Office on G8, health workforce, AF/PAK stabilisation and counter-narcotics).  He previously worked as a technical specialist and programme lead on a number of health sector reform projects for the World Bank and EU, particularly in Eastern Europe, as well as in management and contracting of health services in the UK National Health Service.