Igna Bonfrer

Dr. Igna Bonfrer is an Associate Professor of Global Health Economics at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. As Director of the Rotterdam Global Health Initiative (RIGH), she leads a multidisciplinary network of 250+ members addressing global health challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Her research focuses on healthcare financing reforms, socioeconomic disparities, and improving healthcare systems in LMICs, with a particular emphasis on maternal health, non-communicable diseases, and patient-reported outcomes.

She coordinates undergraduate and graduate courses including 'Global Challenges in Health & Behaviour' (BSc) and 'Global Health Economics' (MSc), emphasizing causal evaluation of healthcare policies, decolonizing global health practices, and career development. Bonfrer has held postdoctoral positions at Harvard University and the University of Oxford, and her work has been funded by organizations such as the Dutch Research Council, WHO, and the EU's Marie Curie CoFund.

Key contributions include studies on socioeconomic inequalities in cardiovascular disease risk across 57 LMICs, the impact of performance-based financing on healthcare utilization, and digital interventions to improve maternal health outcomes in India. She has received the 'Best PhD Supervisor Award 2024' and serves as Academic Editor for PLOS Global Public Health.

Her grants include the Rubicon Fellowship and Prof. H.W. Lambers Prize, alongside contributions to WHO advisory work and NGO collaborations. Bonfrer’s research also explores clinician use of electronic patient-reported outcomes and systemic support for healthcare professional well-being.