Eileen Natuzzi, MD, MS, MPH, FACS
Dr. Eileen Natuzzi has worked on health capacity building in the Solomon Islands for 19 years.
She received her medical degree from George Washington University, did her surgical training
at the University of California San Francisco and obtained her Master’s in Public Health in
Epidemiology from San Diego State University. She currently serves as Solomon Island’s
country co-coordinator for the Australia New Zealand Gastrointestinal International Training
Association (ANZGITA) and is a visiting staff member at the National Referral Hospital (NRH)
in Honiara, Guadalcanal. The ANZGITA program along with the doctors and nurses at the NRH
established the first endoscopy service for the country. ANZGITA has assisted 12 Pacific Island
countries in establishing endoscopic services.
Dr. Natuzzi’s main focus is on the strengthening under resourced Pacific Island health systems.
She actively advocates for the establishment of medical education exchanges between US
medical universities and Pacific Island health systems in addition to safe and environmentally
smart health system infrastructure development. Her work includes encouraging governments
and private industry to see health as diplomacy.
Dr. Natuzzi has published a number of policy papers on health development as well as editorials
on issues pertinent to geopolitical events in The Hill, The Diplomat, DevPolicy, Lowy
Interpreter, Griffith University’s Pacific Outlook and Global Health Governance, and Oceanic
Currents in addition to publishing in medical journals.