{{Short description|Chilean politician}} {{Family name hatnote|Aguilera|Sanhueza|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ximena Aguilera | image = Ministra_Ximena_Aguilera.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1964|10|7}} | birth_place = [[Colbún]], [[Chile]] | office = [[Ministry of Health (Chile)|Minister of Health]] | president = [[Gabriel Boric]] | term_start = 6 September 2022 | term_end = 11 March 2026 | predecessor = [[María Begoña Yarza]] | successor = [[May Chomalí]] | party = None | alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[University of Chile]] (MD)}} | occupation = Politician | profession = [[Physician]] | parents = {{interlanguage link|Pablo Aguilera|es}} | footnotes = }}
'''Ximena Paz Aguilera Sanhueza''' (born 7 October 1964) is a [[Chilean people|Chilean]] physician and politician, currently serving as her country's [[Ministry of Health (Chile)|Minister of Health]] since 6 September 2022.
==Biography== Ximena Aguilera is the daughter of journalist and radio host {{interlanguage link|Pablo Aguilera|es}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/espectaculos-y-tv/notas-espectaculos-tv/2022/09/06/pablo-aguilera-y-nombramiento-de-su-hija-ximena-como-ministra-me-entere-por-la-prensa.shtml|title=Pablo Aguilera y nombramiento de su hija Ximena como ministra: 'Me enteré por la prensa'|publisher=[[Radio Bío-Bío]]|first=Constanza|last=Bello Caipillán|date=6 September 2022|access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref> In 1987, she graduated as a [[surgeon]] from the [[University of Chile]], from where she also holds a master's degree in [[public health]].<ref name=ex-ante>{{cite news |title=Perfil: Ximena Aguilera, la experta en epidemiología que asume como nueva Ministra de Salud |url=https://www.ex-ante.cl/perfil-ximena-aguilera-la-experta-en-epidemiologia-que-asume-como-nueva-ministra-de-salud/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |work=Ex-Ante |date=6 September 2022}}</ref>
==Public career== Aguilera was head of the Epidemiology Division of the [[Ministry of Health (Chile)|Ministry of Health]] of Chile between 1999 and 2005, and then served as head of the Health Planning Division of the Ministry of Health until 2008.
Between 2008 and 2010, she served as Senior Advisor for Communicable Diseases at the [[Pan American Health Organization]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], coordinating the organization's technical response to the [[2009 swine flu pandemic]]. Aguilera has also worked as a consultant for other international organizations, such as the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), the [[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP) and the [[World Bank]], in various countries in [[Latin America]] and in [[China]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ministra de Salud |url=https://www.minsal.cl/ministro-de-salud/ |website=Ministerio de Salud |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Chile]], Aguilera became part of the National Commission for Pandemic Response, heading its External Advisory Council.<ref>{{cite news |title=Quién es Ximena Aguilera, la nueva ministra de Salud tras la salida de María Begoña Yarza |url=https://www.t13.cl/noticia/politica/quien-es-ximena-aguilera-especialista-liderara-minsal-salida-begona-yarza-06-09-2022 |access-date=7 September 2022 |work=T13 |date=6 September 2022}}</ref> In this role, she criticized the former government of [[Sebastián Piñera]] for lack of transparency in the delivery of data.<ref name=ex-ante/>
On 6 September 2022, Aguilera replaced [[María Begoña Yarza]] as Minister of Health in the cabinet of [[Gabriel Boric]], after a cabinet reshuffle following the rejection of the proposed new constitution in the [[2022 Chilean national plebiscite]]. Prior to her appointment as Minister, Aguilera was director of the Center for Epidemiology and Health Policies of the Faculty of Medicine at the [[University for Development]].<ref name=ex-ante/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter|ximenaguilera}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguilera, Ximena}} [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:University of Chile alumni]] [[Category:Chilean women medical doctors]] [[Category:Ministers of health of Chile]] [[Category:Women government ministers of Chile]] [[Category:Gabriel Boric cabinet ministers]]