Maria-Luisa Escobar is the manager of the Health Systems Practice at The World Bank Institute (WBI). She has worked with developing countries on the analysis and design of health policies, from the multilaterals, government and academia. Dr. Escobar served as director of planning and senior advisor to the Minister of Health in Colombia, where she led the efforts for the design on a mandatory basket of benefits and the establishment of priorities in health. Before joining the WBI, she worked on the analysis of innovative financing mechanisms for global health as a fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and developed a research agenda on the impact of health insurance in developing countries. Her main interests are on health systems policy, health care financing, and on the development of effective strategies to transform technical knowledge into the implementation of change processes in developing countries. Her most recent publication is "Universal Health Coverage and Litigation in Latin America" with L. Cubillos, et. al, in The Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol 26, No 3, 2012.