1. Curriculum Vitae:
Dr Joanna Mary Nurse
BMed, MSc, MPH, PhD, MRCGP, FFPH
February 2017
CAREER HISTORY AND KEY ROLES
Social Development policy for the Commonwealth Secretariat: In my current role as
Head of Health and Education for 52 Commonwealth Countries, I provide leadership to
enable national policies and legal frameworks for both the health and education sectors.
This includes global advocacy with Ministerial Meetings, strengthening country capacity for
health and education systems and the establishment of knowledge hubs to promote transfer
of research to policy and the creation of collaborative partnerships.
Public Health Systems and Climate Change – World Health Organisation: From 2010 –
2013, I undertook a 3-year placement with the WHO where I led the implementation of the
European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Services and Capacity across 53
countries; from 2014 I applied key lessons into the advancement of the ‘Charter for the
Public’s Health’ in partnership with the World Federation for Public Health Associations.
Between 2010- 2012, I managed a WHO seven-country project, ensuring delivery of climate
change and health national assessments and strategies, and shaped strategic thinking on
sustainable development across Europe.
National Policy development and leadership: Between 2008- 2010, as the national lead
of Public Mental Health and Well Being for the Department of Health, England, I provided
leadership for policy development, working with external stakeholders across the DH and
other government departments, to promote wider wellbeing. Providing strategic direction, I
developed a framework for wellbeing, managed and commissioned work on the evidence
base, cost- effectiveness and indicators, as well as ensuring governance structures for
policy delivery. From 2006 - 2010, I was the national lead in the Department of Health,
England on fuel poverty, excess winter and summer deaths. This involved emergency
responses and sustainable long term multi-sector planning, communications, delivery,
monitoring and evaluation of national heat and cold weather plans. I also took forward DH
guidance and workforce development on climate change and health.
Cross-sector policy delivery and violence prevention: In 2005, I was appointed as a
Senior Civil Servant for the Department of Health (Director of Public Health equivalent); in
the SE Regional Public Health Group, where I led on public mental health, housing, learning
disabilities and offender health for a population of 8 million, and ensured performance
improvement for well-being across local governments. I advised the DH nationally on
violence prevention policy from 2003 – 2010, which formed the basis for my PhD, awarded
by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Early Career – international and community development: I became accredited as a
Public Health Consultant, (MFPH), in 2003, gaining experience at local, regional, national
and international levels. For my initial consultant posts I led a public health strategy and
team in Portsmouth and an older people’s strategy in Southampton. Initially qualifying in
medicine in 1991 at Southampton University, (UK), after clinical posts, I worked and
qualified as a General Practitioner in 1997. Across my career I have gained international
experience working in India, Mexico, Central America, Europe and Central Asia, and in 2003
was seconded to WHO HQ in Geneva to work globally on gender and violence prevention.

2. PersonalDetails:
D.O.B. 3rd July 1966
Address: 17, Queen’s Road, Lyndhurst,
Hampshire, UK
Telephone: 0044- 2380 282634
Mobile: 0044- 77390 42389
Email: Jonurse66@hotmail.com
Place of Birth: Somerset, UK.
Nationality: British
GMC Registration: Full Number: 3556092
Career Objectives:
- To make a significant contribution to public health globally, with a view to a
senior leadership position for promoting sustainable health and well-being
- To apply my skills and experience to strengthen health resilience and
security, and achieve tangible health, social, economic and environmental
outcomes, especially benefiting disadvantaged populations
Qualifications:
Medical Degree: Southampton University, BMed 1991.
MRCGP- Member of the Royal College of General Practice examination: 1997.
MSc Public Health: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 1999.
MSc Health Promotion/ Health Education: Southampton University, 2000.
MFPH- Member of the Faculty of Public Health, UK: 2003.
FFPH – Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, UK: 2009.
PhD: the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, April 2016: ‘The public health
contribution to policy development for the prevention of violence and abuse’.

3. Chronology of Career:
2015 - Present:The Commonwealth - Policy for Health and Education Sectors
Situation: Head of Health and Education, The Commonwealth Secretariat
Task: Provide leadership to ensure strengthening of national policies and legal
frameworks for the health and the education sectors in order to enable the deliver the
Sustainable Development Goals and promote social development;
Action: global advocacy; strategic direction and the creation of policy frameworks; country
capacity; collaborative knowledge hubs to mobilise partners and resources;
Results:
 Global Advocacy: Conference Secretary for Health Ministers meetings on global
health security and Universal Health Coverage; and Commonwealth Conference
for Education Ministers on Education and the SDGS;
 Strategic Direction: for the creation of policy frameworks for sustainable Universal
Health Coverage and a toolkit for health protection policy; a Commonwealth
Curriculum for delivering the SDGS and an education systems policy framework;
 Country Capacity: for health and education systems across 52 Commonwealth
Countries – country specific work in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific
 Collaborative knowledge hubs: established in both health and education sectors,
to promote innovative approaches for sustainable policy, including digital health
and ICT for education; resources and tools for policy; the establishment of
collaborative partnerships to scale up action and mobilise resource; and strengthen
networks with research institutions across the Commonwealth.
2005 – 2014: UK Government – senior Public Health Policy Roles
Situation: Senior Civil Servant, (equivalent to Director of Public Health), Department of
Health, England, (Ministry of Health: population 50 million)
Task: Advanced a Global Framework for Public Health; Senior Strategic Public Health
Advisor; National lead for Public Mental Health and Well-Being; responsible for extreme
weather national plans; regional roles for housing, mental health, violence, alcohol,
employment, offender health, disabilities and local area agreements
Action: Identified public health issues, risks and priorities to strengthen public health
systems and establish policy agendas; development of evidence- based policy;
established implementation processes for policy delivery, including monitoring,
communications and workforce development; created evidence based policy briefings;
briefed ministers, chaired meetings and groups and sat on executive board meetings;
placement with WHO HQ
Results:
 Charter for the Public’s Health: In collaboration with the World Federation of
Public Health Associations and partners, I developed the Global Framework for
Public Health, which has been published as the Charter for the Public’s Health,
(2016)
 Policy for Well-Being: Led the development of national policy for Public Mental
Health and Well-Being, (DH, 2010) and established delivery processes;
 Violence Prevention: Expert advisor on national and international policy for
violence and abuse prevention, 2004- 2010; - used as basis for my PhD,
 Emergency Planning: Led policy and guidance for the national heatwave plan,
including annual evaluations and updates (DH, 2006- 10)
 Housing and Fuel Poverty: Led on policy for health and fuel poverty, created
pilots, drafted and initiated the national cold weather plan (since established)
 Climate Change: Created guidance for implementing policy on climate change
and health and established a multi-agency workforce development process.

4.  Regional public health advisor: (population 8 million), for Mental Health,
Housing, Alcohol, Violence; and led cross-sector performance outcomes to
improve population well-being for Local Government Partnerships (population 2
million).
2010 – 2013: World Health Organisation - (career break from DH to WHO)
Situation: WHO, Europe (covered 53 countries; population 800 million)
Task: led on the implementation of the European Action Plan for Strengthening Public
Health Services and Capacity (2012- 2013); and a Climate Change and Health multi-
country project in Central Asia, (2010 – 2012)
Action: briefed and advised ministers, managed teams, budgets and networks, provided
strategic leadership, mobilised partners and resources, developed and monitored plans,
established governance and delivery processes
Results:
 Governance:Established the implementation process for the European Action
Plan including 10 Essential Public Health Operations, across 53 countries
 Delivery:Ensured delivery of objectives, including the development of public
health legislation, policy, national assessments and capacity development, for 23
countries
 Communications: Published a range of supportive public health reports,
developed and implemented a communications strategy and upgraded the website.
 Mobilised partners and resources to take forward the action plan with working
groups and multi-country networks
 Climate change and sustainability: ensured the delivery of a 7 country project,
including national assessments, policies, communications and workforce
development plans, heatwave and flooding plans and the development of
sustainable health systems
1998 – 2005: Community Public Health Experience
Situation: Consultant in Public Health, Southampton and Portsmouth cities, UK, (2003 -
2005), Specialist Registrar in Public Health, Wessex region, UK (1998 – 2003)
Task: public health placements included: health services, prisons, community projects,
local authorities, a placement in Honduras and at the WHO, HQ
Action: undertook health needs and impact assessments, led on evidence reviews,
evaluated services and projects and developed strategies, plans, governance and
implementation processes, managed teams and budgets and provided leadership
Results:
 Led the development of city a Public Health Strategy, and an older persons
strategy (Portsmouth and Southampton)
 Wrote and contributed to publications for WHO on adolescents and violence
prevention
 Evaluated a health promotion project for young people in Honduras
 Completed an assessment and plan for healthy prisons
 Health service improvement: for quality, governance, safety, effectiveness
1991- 1998: Summary of clinical medical practice:
General Practitioner; 1996 – 98, Southampton inner city practice
Doctor in outreach clinic for Sex –Workers, Southampton 1997-8
Senior House Officer in Child Health and Obstetrics and Gynaecology 1995-6
Senior House Officer posts in Psychiatry; 1993 – 95
Senior House Officer post in A and E 1993
House Officer posts in medicine and surgery 1991- 1992