Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity

Amanda Glassman

Recent Research

Director of Global Health Policy and Research Fellow

Health financing and payment, results-based financing, social protection, conditional cash transfer programs, non-communicable disease, maternal and child health

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Education: MSc Harvard School of Public Health; BA Brown University

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Amanda Glassman is the Director of Global Health Policy and a research fellow at the Center for Global Development, leading work on priority-setting, resource allocation and value for money in global health, with a particular interest in vaccination. She has 20 years of experience working on health and social protection policy and programs in Latin America and elsewhere in the developing world. Prior to her current position, Glassman was principal technical lead for health at the Inter-American Development Bank, where she led health economics and financing knowledge products and policy dialogue with member countries, designed the results-based grant program Salud Mesoamerica 2015 and served as team leader for conditional cash transfer programs such as Mexico’s Oportunidades and Colombia’s Familias en Accion. From 2005-2007, Glassman was deputy director of the Global Health Financing Initiative at Brookings and carried out policy research on aid effectiveness and domestic financing issues in the health sector in low-income countries. Before joining the Brookings Institution, Glassman designed, supervised and evaluated health and social protection loans at the Inter-American Development Bank and worked as a Population Reference Bureau Fellow at the US Agency for International Development. Glassman holds a MSc from the Harvard School of Public Health and a BA from Brown University, has published on a wide range of health and social protection finance and policy topics and is editor and co-author of the books From Few to Many: A Decade of Health Insurance Expansion in Colombia (IDB and Brookings 2010) and The Health of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (World Bank 2001).

New Popular Working Papers Other CGD Pubs Events Selected Works

Quantifying the Quality of Health Aid: Health QuODA - May 9, 2012

This brief summarizes and updates results of the Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) index applied to health aid and compares these results to the overall QuODA assessment. Through quantifying performance on aid effectiveness, we hope to motivate improvements in health aid...
Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions - Working Paper 295 - May 8, 2012

Amid debate about whether adolescent pregnancy is a problem in and of itself or merely symptomatic of deeper, ingrained disadvantage, this paper aggregates recent quantitative evidence on the socioeconomic consequences of and methods to reduce of teenage pregnancy in the developing world.
Value for Money in Malaria Programming: Issues and Opportunities - Working Paper 291 - Apr 17, 2012

This paper examines opportunities for improved efficiency in malaria control, analyzing the effectiveness of interventions and current trends in spending. Overall, it appears that resources for malaria control are well spent—however, there remain areas for improved efficiency, including (i)...
Incentives for Life: Cash-on-Delivery Aid for Tobacco Control in Developing Countries - Apr 16, 2012

In this joint report, Thomas J. Bollyky, CFR senior fellow for global health, economics, and development, and Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development, propose applying Cash-on-Delivery (COD) Aid as a new incentive mechanism for tobacco control in low-...
Linking Investments to Outcomes: Measuring Health System Effectiveness (Event Video) - Apr 13, 2012

In recent years the idea of strong health systems as a component of population health has been noted by both global health donors and national governments alike. Consequently, the question of how to measure the effectiveness of health systems interventions has become ever more pressing. But it...
Innovative Financing in Early Recovery: The Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund - Working Paper 288 - Feb 9, 2012

Jacob Hughes, Amanda Glassman, and Walter Gwenigale discuss the design, opportunities, and limitations of the of Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund.
Data Set for Working Paper 287: “An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health” - Feb 7, 2012

This data set allows replication of the results in CGD Working Paper 287, An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health.
An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health - Working Paper 287 - Feb 7, 2012

The authors apply Birdsall and Kharas’s Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) methodology to rank donors across 23 indicators of aid effectiveness in health.
Global Health Initiative 2.0: Effective Priority-Setting in a Time of Austerity - Jan 30, 2012

This report of the Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Program summarizes the rationale for continued U.S. investment in global health, looks into the evolution of the Global Health Initiative, and recommends a re-boot for the whole enterprise.
Global Health and the New Bottom Billion – Amanda Glassman - Jan 23, 2012

Global health funders have historically focused their aid on countries with the lowest per capita incomes, on the assumption that that’s where most of world’s poor people live. In recent years, however, many large developing countries achieved rapid growth, lifting them into the ranks of...

Innovative Financing in Early Recovery: The Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund - Working Paper 288 - Feb 9, 2012

Jacob Hughes, Amanda Glassman, and Walter Gwenigale discuss the design, opportunities, and limitations of the of Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund.
Value for Money in Malaria Programming: Issues and Opportunities - Working Paper 291 - Apr 17, 2012

This paper examines opportunities for improved efficiency in malaria control, analyzing the effectiveness of interventions and current trends in spending. Overall, it appears that resources for malaria control are well spent—however, there remain areas for improved efficiency, including (i)...
An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health - Working Paper 287 - Feb 7, 2012

The authors apply Birdsall and Kharas’s Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) methodology to rank donors across 23 indicators of aid effectiveness in health.
Global Health Initiative 2.0: Effective Priority-Setting in a Time of Austerity - Jan 30, 2012

This report of the Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Program summarizes the rationale for continued U.S. investment in global health, looks into the evolution of the Global Health Initiative, and recommends a re-boot for the whole enterprise.
Data Set for Working Paper 287: “An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health” - Feb 7, 2012

This data set allows replication of the results in CGD Working Paper 287, An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health.
Incentives for Life: Cash-on-Delivery Aid for Tobacco Control in Developing Countries - Apr 16, 2012

In this joint report, Thomas J. Bollyky, CFR senior fellow for global health, economics, and development, and Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development, propose applying Cash-on-Delivery (COD) Aid as a new incentive mechanism for tobacco control in low-...
Global Health and the New Bottom Billion: How Funders Should Respond to Shifts in Global Poverty and Disease Burden - Jan 6, 2012

After a decade of rapid economic growth, many developing countries have attained middle-income status, but poverty reduction in these countries has not kept pace with economic growth. Most of the world’s poor—up to a billion people—now live in these new middle-income countries. These...
Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions - Working Paper 295 - May 8, 2012

Amid debate about whether adolescent pregnancy is a problem in and of itself or merely symptomatic of deeper, ingrained disadvantage, this paper aggregates recent quantitative evidence on the socioeconomic consequences of and methods to reduce of teenage pregnancy in the developing world.
Quantifying the Quality of Health Aid: Health QuODA - May 9, 2012

This brief summarizes and updates results of the Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) index applied to health aid and compares these results to the overall QuODA assessment. Through quantifying performance on aid effectiveness, we hope to motivate improvements in health aid...
Global Health and the New Bottom Billion: What Do Shifts in Global Poverty and the Global Disease Burden Mean for GAVI and the Global Fund? - Working Paper 270 - Oct 27, 2011

After a decade of rapid growth in average incomes, many countries have attained middle-income country (MIC) status, while poverty hasn’t fallen as much as one might expect. As a result, there are up to a billion poor people or a ‘new bottom billion’ living not in the world’s poorest...

Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions - Working Paper 295 - May 8, 2012

Amid debate about whether adolescent pregnancy is a problem in and of itself or merely symptomatic of deeper, ingrained disadvantage, this paper aggregates recent quantitative evidence on the socioeconomic consequences of and methods to reduce of teenage pregnancy in the developing world.
Value for Money in Malaria Programming: Issues and Opportunities - Working Paper 291 - Apr 17, 2012

This paper examines opportunities for improved efficiency in malaria control, analyzing the effectiveness of interventions and current trends in spending. Overall, it appears that resources for malaria control are well spent—however, there remain areas for improved efficiency, including (i)...
Innovative Financing in Early Recovery: The Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund - Working Paper 288 - Feb 9, 2012

Jacob Hughes, Amanda Glassman, and Walter Gwenigale discuss the design, opportunities, and limitations of the of Liberia Health Sector Pool Fund.
An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health - Working Paper 287 - Feb 7, 2012

The authors apply Birdsall and Kharas’s Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) methodology to rank donors across 23 indicators of aid effectiveness in health.
Global Health and the New Bottom Billion: What Do Shifts in Global Poverty and the Global Disease Burden Mean for GAVI and the Global Fund? - Working Paper 270 - Oct 27, 2011

After a decade of rapid growth in average incomes, many countries have attained middle-income country (MIC) status, while poverty hasn’t fallen as much as one might expect. As a result, there are up to a billion poor people or a ‘new bottom billion’ living not in the world’s poorest...
The Health Systems Funding Platform: Resolving Tensions between the Aid and Development Effectiveness Agendas - Working Paper 258 - Jul 12, 2011

This paper briefly assesses the Health Systems Funding Platform and finds that its progress differs little from prior initiatives, although it does present an opportunity to make global health aid more effective.
Performance-Based Incentives for Health: Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean - Working Paper 120 - Apr 23, 2007

Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs are one way to create incentives for poor people to use preventive healthcare services. Evaluations show that CCT programs work, and their use is spreading rapidly throughout the developing world. This paper analyzes key features of CCT programs and offers...

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Quantifying the Quality of Health Aid: Health QuODA - May 9, 2012

This brief summarizes and updates results of the Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) index applied to health aid and compares these results to the overall QuODA assessment. Through quantifying performance on aid effectiveness, we hope to motivate improvements in health aid...
Incentives for Life: Cash-on-Delivery Aid for Tobacco Control in Developing Countries - Apr 16, 2012

In this joint report, Thomas J. Bollyky, CFR senior fellow for global health, economics, and development, and Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development, propose applying Cash-on-Delivery (COD) Aid as a new incentive mechanism for tobacco control in low-...
Data Set for Working Paper 287: “An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health” - Feb 7, 2012

This data set allows replication of the results in CGD Working Paper 287, An Index of the Quality of Official Development Assistance in Health.
Global Health Initiative 2.0: Effective Priority-Setting in a Time of Austerity - Jan 30, 2012

This report of the Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Program summarizes the rationale for continued U.S. investment in global health, looks into the evolution of the Global Health Initiative, and recommends a re-boot for the whole enterprise.
Global Health and the New Bottom Billion: How Funders Should Respond to Shifts in Global Poverty and Disease Burden - Jan 6, 2012

After a decade of rapid economic growth, many developing countries have attained middle-income status, but poverty reduction in these countries has not kept pace with economic growth. Most of the world’s poor—up to a billion people—now live in these new middle-income countries. These...
Safer, Faster, Cheaper: Improving Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways to Fight Neglected Diseases (CGD Brief) - Oct 31, 2011

This brief outlines the recommendations from the report of the Center for Global Development’s Working Group on Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways
Safer, Faster, Cheaper: Improving Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways to Fight Neglected Diseases - Oct 31, 2011

This report of the Working Group on Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways provides practical policy recommendations to help provide better, safer, and cheaper medicine and treatment to the 1 billion people suffering from neglected diseases.
Affordable Interventions to Prevent Noncommunicable Diseases Worldwide - Sep 8, 2011

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and mental illnesses are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The good news is that much of the NCD burden can be prevented through interventions that are affordable in most countries....
GAVI’s Future: Steps to Build Strategic Leadership, Financial Sustainability, and Better Partnerships - Jun 8, 2011

As GAVI and its new leadership look beyond June 13, Amanda Glassman of CGD and Lisa Carty, Margaret Reeves and Stephen Morrison of CSIS have joined to recommend an agenda that builds on GAVI’s comparative advantage and maximizes impact on child health.

Improving Health in Developing Countries: Lessons from RCTs - Jun 6, 2012
Improving Health in Developing Countries: Lessons from RCTs A Center for Global Development Brownbag Seminar Wednesday, June 6, 2012 12:30pm–2:00pm **Please bring your lunch--beverages provided** Featuring Michael Kremer Gates Professor of Developing Societies, Harvard...
Briefing—Global Child Survival Efforts: Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday - Apr 23, 2012
CGD Director of Global Health Policy and Research Fellow, Amanda Glassman, will sit on the panel at this Kaiser Family Foundation event Briefing: Global Child Survival Efforts: Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday Monday, April 23, 2012 10:00am–11:45am Introductory Remarks by Diane...
Linking Investments to Outcomes: Measuring Health System Effectiveness - Apr 10, 2012
The Center for Global Development presents Linking Investments to Outcomes: Measuring Health System Effectiveness Tuesday, April 10, 2012 1:30pm–3:00pm Opening Remarks by Ariel Pablos-Mendez Assistant Administrator for Global Health U.S. Agency for International...
CSIS Conference on the Strategic Power of Vaccines - Dec 9, 2011
The Center for Strategic and International Studies presents Conference on the Strategic Power of Vaccines Featuring keynote speaches from: Rajiv Shah Administrator U.S. Agency for International Development Anthony Fauci Director National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,...
Health Care Utilization, Socioeconomic Factors, and Child Health in India - Dec 7, 2011
The Center for Global Development invites you to a brownbag on Health Care Utilization, Socioeconomic Factors and Child Health in India Featuring Alok Bhargava Professor of Economics University of Houston Hosted by Amanda Glassman Director of Global Health Policy and Research...
Gender Equality and Development: Discussing the 2012 World Development Report - Nov 30, 2011
The Center for Global Development invites you to a brownbag on Gender Equality and Development: Discussing the 2012 World Development Report Featuring Jishnu Das Senior Economist, 2012 World Development Report The World Bank Markus Goldstein Senior Economist, 2012 World Development...
Safer, Faster, Cheaper: Improving Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways to Fight Neglected Diseases - Oct 31, 2011
The Center for Global Development presents Safer, Faster, Cheaper: Improving Clinical Trials and Regulatory Pathways to Fight Neglected Diseases Keynote Address Margaret A. Hamburg Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Presentation of the Working Group’s Key...
U.S. Outlook for the UN Noncommunicable Disease Summit - Sep 12, 2011
The Center for Global Development presents U.S. Outlook for the U.N. Non-Communicable Disease Summit Featuring Ann Blackwood Director for Health Programs, Bureau of International Organization Affairs U.S. Department of State George Herrfurth International Program Officer for...
Liberia Health Pool Fund Transitioning from Emergency Support to Health System Development - Jun 13, 2011
The Center for Global Development presents a discussion on Liberia Health Pool Fund Transitioning from Emergency Support to Health System Development Featuring Walter T. Gwenigale Minister of Health, Liberia Jacob Hughes Center for Global Development Introduction and Commentary...
Using Performance-Based Incentives to Enhance the Quality of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Interventions in Developing Countries: Theory and Practice - Apr 7, 2011
Using Performance-Based Incentives to Enhance the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Interventions in Developing Countries: Theory and Practice Thursday, April 7 at 12:30 pm (lunch will be served) Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Service Rome Building, Room...
Innovation in Vaccine Financing: Assessing Progress and Envisioning Future Directions - Apr 4, 2011
The Center for Global Development presents Innovation in Vaccine Financing: Assessing Progress and Envisioning Future Directions Featuring Alice Albright Export-Import Bank of the United States Amie Batson United States Agency for International Development Helen Evans and...
Rationing Health Care the NICE Way - Jan 14, 2011
Rationing Health Care the NICE Way Speakers Sir Andrew Dillon Chief Executive, UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou Director, UK NICE International Discussants Dr. Sheri Fink Reporter & Senior Fellow, New American...