Debra Efroymson

Regional Director

Debra has worked for HealthBridge since 1995, first in Hanoi, Vietnam, then since 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has worked since 1995 on tobacco control, providing technical support to programs in several countries, and writing various guides to tobacco control. She also conducted groundbreaking research on the connection between tobacco use and poverty. She has organized research on and co-written three books on sexuality and reproductive health.

More recently, Debra has become involved in liveable cities, transport, and urban planning, writing various reports and giving speeches at international conferences. She currently gives technical assistance to programs on liveable cities, transport, gender, and tobacco control to several countries. In addition to her native English, she speaks Spanish, French, Bengali, Nepali and Vietnamese.

Education

Harvard School of Public Health
Master of Science in Population and International Health, 1993.

Harvard College
Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature and Language, 1987. Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa.

Experience

HealthBridge (formerly PATH Canada), Asia Program
Regional Director (April 2001 - present); Regional Advisor (January 1998 - April 2001)
Conduct research, write, and build capacity on issues of livable cities, liveable cities, and transport. Support and provide technical assistance to liveable cities, gender and tobacco control programs in Asia. Regularly speak at workshops, trainings, conferences and press conferences in Bangladesh and internationally. Advised on drafting of tobacco control legislation, co-wrote guides for tobacco control advocates; conducted, analyzed, and wrote up tobacco control research including groundbreaking research on tobacco and poverty and on women's economic contributions to the nation through their unpaid work.

As of July 2007, also serve as Technical Advisor on Tobacco Control to the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) under the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, providing technical assistance in Bangladesh, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

PATH Canada in Vietnam, Hanoi, March 1995 - December 1997
Advisor (March 1995 - June 1997); Representative (July - December 1997)
Planned, wrote proposal for, and coordinated project to assist local organizations in tobacco control, including education of the public and of policymakers. Wrote reports on health, economics, and advertising, and produced educational materials. Organized and led team to study policy issues on the tobacco industry and tobacco control legislation.

Project manager for "Youth Write about Reproductive Health"
Planned, wrote proposal for, and coordinated project with Vietnam Women's Union to educate youth about reproductive health. Organized and analyzed research on knowledge and attitudes of youth towards sexuality issues; wrote research reports. Co-wrote books on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health; translated all three books into English.

Health Consultant, Hanoi, March 1995 - June 1997
Consultant to World Bank
Led team from the Center for Care and Protection of Children to gather information on communications for behavior change; wrote report.

Advisor to Karolinska Institutet, IHCAR, Sweden
Analyzed drug information situation as part of review of national drug policies in Vietnam, wrote report. Consultant to ICOMP: Helped design and conduct evaluation of income generating project for rural Vietnamese women in two districts; co-wrote report.

Population and Development International - Asia
Program Manager, Hanoi, January 1994 - February 1995
Managed integrated family planning and health project with Vietnam Women´s Union. Planned and coordinated activities, monitored and evaluated progress, wrote reports and developed proposals.

Publications

Bari, M and D Efroymson, Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP), A critical review. WBB Trust, Dhaka, March 2009.

Efroymson, D and Alam, SM. Enforcement of Tobacco Control Law, A Guide to the Basics. HealthBridge, February 2009.

Efroymson, D, M Rahman and R Shama. Making Cities More Liveable. HealthBridge and WBB Trust, February 2009.

Efroymson, D, R Hafiz and L Jones, ed. Ecocity Planning: Images and Ideas. WBB Trust, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and HealthBridge, November 2008.

Efroymson, D. Promoting Male Responsibility Towards Greater Gender Equality, Lessons Learned. HealthBridge, April 2008.

Efroymson, D, ed. Addressing Tobacco and Poverty in Bangladesh: Research and Recommendations on Agriculture and Taxes. WBB Trust and HealthBridge, October 2007.

Efroymson, D, B Biswas and S Ruma. The Economic Contribution of Bangladeshi Women through their Unpaid Labor. HealthBridge and WBB Trust, October 2007.

Efroymson, D and M Bari, Dhaka Strategic Transport Plan (STP), A Critical Review . Dhaka: May 2007.

Efroymson, D and M Velasco, eds. Tobacco Use in Southeast Asia: Key Evidence for Policy Development. Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, May 2007.

Naher, F, D Efroymson, and S Ahmed, Tobacco Cultivation and Poverty in Bangladesh, Issues and potential future directions. Case study prepared for WHO, February 2007.

Efroymson, D, South-to-South Tobacco Control Program: Lessons Learned. HealthBridge, January 2007.

Efroymson, D., S. FitzGerald and L Jones, ed. Promoting Male Responsibility for Gender Equality, Summary Report of Research from Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. HealthBridge August 2006.

Efroymson, D. Using Media and Research for Advocacy: Low Cost Ways to Increase Success. HealthBridge, June 2006.

Efroymson, D. Buyer Beware in Carbusters Issue 27, June-Aug 2006.

Efroymson, D and ZR Litu, Taking School into the Streets in Carbusters Issue 26, Mar-May 2006.

Bari, M and D Efroymson, Vehicle Mix and Road Space in Dhaka: The Current Situation and Future Scenarios. WBB Trust, Dhaka: December 2005.

Bari, M and D Efroymson, Rickshaw Bans in Dhaka City: An Overview of the Arguments For and Against. Roads for People, Dhaka: August 2005.

Bari, M and D Efroymson, Efficient Use of Road Space and Maximisation of Door-to-Door Mobility: Suggestions for Improvements in Dhaka. WBB Trust, Dhaka: June 2005.

Efroymson, D and M Rahman, Transportation Policy for Poverty Reduction and Social Equity. WBB Trust, Dhaka: May 2005.

Efroymson, D. Dhaka´s Rickshaws Under Threat in Car Busters Issue 22, Jan-Mar 2005.

Efroymson, D. and M Bari, Improving Dhaka´s Traffic Situation, Lessons from Mirpur Road. WBB Trust, Dhaka: February 2005.

Efroymson, D. Robbing the Poor, WHO Lifeline, SEARO, Volume 1 Issue 2, April-June 04.

Efroymson, D and S Ahmed, Building Momentum for Tobacco Control: The Case of Bangladesh in Tobacco Control Policy: Strategies, Successes & Setbacks. World Bank and RITC 2003.

Efroymson, D, ed. Tobacco and Poverty, Observations from India and Bangladesh. PATH Canada, Dhaka, October 2002.

Efroymson, D, Guide to Low-Cost Research for Advocacy, PATH Canada, Dhaka, August 2002.

Must, E and D Efroymson, Using the Media for Tobacco Control, PATH Canada, August 2002.

Dey, AR, N Kabir, and D Efroymson, Noise Pollution: Research and Action, Work for a Better Bangladesh, Dhaka, August 2002.

Efroymson, D, S Ahmed, J Townsend, et al. Hungry for Tobacco: An analysis of the economic impact of tobacco on the poor in Bangladesh, Tobacco Control 2001; 10: 212-217.

Efroymson, D, E Must, and F Tanudyaya. A Burning Issue: Tobacco Control and Development; A manual for non-governmental organizations,PATH Canada, October 2001.

Efroymson, D. PATH Canada Guide: Tobacco Control Law, PATH Canada, Dhaka, August 2001.

Efroymson, D, R Deb, AI Sujon, et al. British American Tobacco´s Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign: What are its actual objectives? Work for a Better Bangladesh, Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance, and PATH Canada, Dhaka, August 2001.

Khanh, TTM, D Efroymson, and F Tanujaya, Training Guide for Sexuality, Love, Health, PATH Canada, Hanoi, May 2001.

Efroymson, D and S Ahmed, Hungry for Tobacco: An analysis of the economic impact of tobacco on the poor in Bangladesh, PATH Canada, Dhaka: July 2000.

Trang, NQ, D Efroymson, NK Linh. Growing up, Puberty, Blossoming, Hanoi: Women's Publishing House, 1998.

Trang, NQ, D Efroymson, and NK Linh. Talking about Gender, Love, and Health. Hanoi: Women´s Publishing House, 1998.

Efroymson, D, VPN Thanh, and DT Phuong, It´s Rude to Say No: Vietnamese opinions about tobacco control, Report for the International Tobacco Initiative, Hanoi, July 1997.

Trang, NQ and D Efroymson. Youth who love life know about HIV/AIDS, Hanoi: Women´s Publishing House, 1996.

Efroymson, D. Vietnam Faces Modern Sexuality Problems with Inadequate Knowledge and Solutions, SIECUS Report, Vol. 24, No. 3, February / March 1996.

Efroymson, D. A case study of a promotion ban - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Case study for CPHA workshop Tobacco as a Public Health Issue, IDRC, Ottawa, 6-12 June 1996.

Abstracts and Presentations

Key trainer in two-day What Say Youth training in Singapore, 28-29 May 2008.

Developing Ecocity Initiatives: the South to South Ecocity Alliance (SSEA) and Dhaka : could it be a mega-ecocity? Ecocity World Summit, San Francisco, 22-26 April 2008.

Lead trainer in two-day Asian Youth Advocacy Training, Taipei, Taiwan 16-17, October 2007.

Tobacco and Poverty. Plan Sweden seminar, Stockholm, 31 May 2007.

Promoting Policy Change on Transport: The Shortest Road to an Ecocity Future. Ecocity 6 Conference, Bangalore, India, 4-6 December 2006.

The Power of People and the Pen—Advocacy in Bangladesh. 13 th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, Washington D.C. 12-15 July 2006.

Working with media for law passage and implementation: practical guidelines . 13 th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, Washington D.C. 12-15 July 2006.

Livable Cities, International Lessons. Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), URP Seminar Series, 14 March 2006.

Women and Tobacco: An Overview of Gender Issues . Regional Workshop on Women and Tobacco, Taipei, 1-3 March 2006.

Old and new strategies of the tobacco industry . 1 st International Symposium on Women and Tobacco, Toledo, Spain, October 2005.

Strategies for everyday walking culture . Walk21, Zurich, September 2005.

Participant on panel, The right to mobility for all and Saving the cycle rickshaws of Bangladesh. Towards Carfree Cities V, Budapest, July 2005.

Facilitator in three-day 2005 ASEAN Advocacy Fellowship Training for tobacco control advocates in Phuket, Thailand, June 2005.

Sole trainer in five-day workshop on Tobacco Control and Youth, Taipei, Taiwan, July 2004.

Challenging the Industry in Bangladesh and Grassroots Tobacco Control. Southeast Asia Alliance Workshop, Penang, Malaysia, April 2004.

Tobacco and Development, Refusing Industry Money, and Involving NGOs in Tobacco Control. NGO workshop, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 2004.

Sole trainer in four-day workshop on Tobacco Control and Youth, Taipei, Taiwan, July 2003.

Trainer in workshop on Tobacco Control for NGOs and the Media, Niamey, Niger, October 2002.

Empowerment towards an Advertising Ban. Southeast Asian Alliance workshop, Penang, Malaysia, September 2002.

Trainer in Southeast Asian Alliance workshop, Penang, Malaysia, September 2002.

La malnutrition, conséquence peu connue de la consommation du tabac dans les pays pauvres. 1 st Annual International Francophone Conference on Tobacco control, Montreal, September 2002.

Trainer in workshop on The Role of NGOs in Advocacy for Tobacco Control Law and the FCTC, Nagarkot, Nepal, July 2002.

Tobacco’s Toll on the Environment. 1 st National Conference on Environmental Health in Bangladesh, February 2002.

Malnutrition Attributable to Tobacco Use. 8 th Bangladesh Nutrition Conference, March 2002.

Efroymson, D, S Ahmed, S FitzGerald. The link between tobacco consumption and poverty in Bangladesh. Seventh Canadian Conference on International Health, November 2000.

Trainer in Rockefeller-sponsored Southeast Asian workshop on tobacco control, Ayutthaya, Thailand April 2000.

1) Satellite television advertising in Bangladesh, 2) Adequate warning systems for tobacco products, 3) Malnutrition attributable to tobacco use, 4) Highlighting the Economic Costs of Tobacco: Suggestions from Bangladesh and Vietnam, and 5) Coalition Building in Bangladesh. 11th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Chicago, August 2000.

Co-trainer in skill-building workshop on Fundamentals of Tobacco Control in the Community. 11th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Chicago, August 2000.

Efroymson, D, VPN Thanh, and NQ Trang, Confusions and contradictions: Results of qualitative research on youth sexuality. Population Council workshop, Hanoi, December 1997.

Efroymson, D, VPN Thanh, S FitzGerald. Vietnamese women and tobacco: Concern for the future? Fourth Canadian Conference on International Health, November 1997.

Efroymson, D, VPN Thanh, NQ Trang, S FitzGerald. Barriers to safer sex among Vietnamese youth. Fourth Canadian Conference on International Health, November 1997.

Efroymson, D, DT Phuong. Analysis of Tobacco Policy in Vietnam. 10th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Beijing, August 1997.

Languages

Bengali, French, Nepali, Spanish and Vietnamese; native English