Ana Langer, M.D., is the President of EngenderHealth, the leading international reproductive health organization working to improve the quality of health care in the world’s poorest communities. A lifelong advocate for women’s health and rights, Dr. Langer’s expertise includes reproductive health policy, programs and research with a particular focus on maternal health.
Prior to joining EngenderHealth, Dr. Langer lived in Mexico for more than 20 years, which served as a base for launching initiatives throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to improve women’s health.
As a special advisor to the Minister of Health in Mexico City, and as Director of the Division of Research on Women and Children’s Health for the National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca, Dr. Langer led efforts to advance policies aimed at reducing maternal mortality and disability. Dr. Langer also served as the Population Council’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, overseeing reproductive health, family planning, and HIV prevention programs and research in more than 10 countries. As Acting Director of the Council’s Reproductive Health program, Dr. Langer guided global work to reduce unwanted pregnancy, improve access to safe abortion, and test the safety and efficacy of microbicides to prevent HIV.
Dr. Langer has published in more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as in the popular press including the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, and The Guardian. The author of numerous books and chapters on reproductive and maternal health, Dr. Langer also sits on the World Health Organization’s Advisory Committee on Health Research, and is the co-chair of the International Planned Parenthood Federation's International Medical Advisory Panel. Dr. Langer currently serves on several editorial boards, including The Lancet, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, and the WHO Reproductive Health Library.
Dr. Langer earned her medical degree from the National University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is board certified in pediatrics and neonatology.
Originally from Argentina, she is fluent in Spanish, French, and English and is proficient in Portuguese.
