At only 34, Dr. Izkia Siches Pastén has already shown amazing leadership and enormous potential. In 2017, she became the first woman to hold the national presidency of Chile’s Colegio Médico, a highly influential medical union, in its almost 70-year history—and this January, her diligence and clear messaging on matters of public health helped her win a second three-year term leading the group. She will continue her work as a member of Chile’s COVID-19 Social Roundtable, playing a crucial role in framing an inclusive, nationwide response to the pandemic. Her empathy, capacity and credibility also led to public discussion of a possible presidential run, an option that she has ruled out for the moment. But millions of Chilean voters share her dreams of a modern health service, giving all hope that Izkia is here to stay.
Bachelet is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and a former President of Chile