When the world negotiates the rules for the next pandemic, who sits at the table and whose realities shape the conversation determines whether those rules will work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries bore significant impacts while having limited influence over global response frameworks. The risk going forward was the same: policies designed without regard for the regions most affected by emerging infectious diseases.
Through the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey in 2024, Dr. Masika deepened her confidence. She sharpened her ability to lead in high-stakes global policy environments, navigating diplomatic dynamics, building coalitions, and advocating clearly for priorities that Western-led institutions often overlook.
In 2025, Masika served as a technical advisor to the Africa Group during negotiations for the global Pandemic Treaty. Acting as a bridge between African negotiators and Western nations, she worked to embed One Health – the recognition that human, animal, and environmental health are inseparable – into the treaty’s core framework. Without it, pandemic preparedness remains reactive. With it, investment flows toward prevention, where it can do its best – protecting communities. The treaty now includes an article on One Health and prevention, a shift that Masika helped make possible.
“I understand African perspectives of what One Health looks like on the ground, because we live it. I served as a bridge to translate the realities of Africa to the Western nations and the global community,” she reflects.
Her story is a reminder that global policy changes when the right women are in the room, equipped to lead.