Alisha Keirstead is the director of EDC’s Global Health Team and the co-lead of growth strategy for EDC’s Be Well Transformation Area. An international public health expert, Keirstead leads and oversees innovative, cross-sector initiatives that strengthen systems and significantly improve health and mental health outcomes for people of all ages, with emphasis on youth and families. She brings subject matter expertise in child and adolescent health and welfare, sexual-reproductive health, mental health and psychosocial support, and family-centered care for children and adolescents living with HIV.

Keirstead specializes in collaborating with country and community leaders to co-design effective and sustainable collective impact interventions that address complex health and mental health challenges. She has led multiple successful initiatives in crisis-affected contexts, including the recent ELIKIA project (read the final project report).

Over the years, Keirstead has supported the success of EDC’s health programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.

Keirstead holds an MPH in International Health from Oregon State University and speaks English and French.