Feng Zhao

Dr. Feng Zhao has more than 20 years of experience in public health, medicine, economics and demography at global, regional and country levels. He has extensively worked on health policy dialogues, technical work and operations particularly in Africa and Europe and Central Asia.

As the World Bank Practice Manager for South Asia Region - Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP), he manages the HNP portfolio for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan. In this role, he is charged with guiding the development and quality of Bank supported HNP analytical products and financing operations in support of the Bank’s goals to end poverty and boost shared prosperity. While Practice Manager for the Bank global health engagement program, he led the strategy development exercise and flagship reports. He also led the Bank’s health COVID-19 response program as the head of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and was one of the main architects of the COVID global MPA. Before his current role, he served in different positions at the World Bank including Program Leader for the Bank’s Human Development programs for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova; Task Manager for a number of African countries. From August 2009 to July 2011, he was based in World Bank’s Ethiopia country office, also serving as Chair of the Health Partner Group in Ethiopia.

He also had experience to be the Health Manager at the African Development Bank, responsible for health operations in 54 African countries from 2011 to 2014.

He holds a Ph.D in population and health economics from the Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Public Health from University of California at Berkeley, a Medical Degree from China. He serves as a faculty member for a number of universities including as a faculty member for Harvard Finance Minister Executive Leadership Program.