Ruth Schumacher is the current Director of GIZ’ global program "Pandemic prevention and response, One Health” (financed by BMZ). She is a medical doctor (Cologne University) with a diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health (Liverpool). She has been working for more than 26 years in Public Health and international cooperation, including projects in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Her focus areas are strengthening health systems, One Health and its financing and governance. 
In her professional career she worked as academic staff in Universities such as Heidelberg and Istanbul, and as consultant for international and UN agencies before she joined GIZ in 2001.