Mary Kinney is a health policy and systems researcher.

Mary joined the SOPH in 2017 as a researcher for the Countdown to 2030 Drivers Group and conducted research on understanding implementation factors of quality improvement initiatives for maternal and newborn health. She still works on the Countdown to 2030 project managing the Health Policy and Systems Data & Analysis Center, which provides guidance on measuring the health systems drivers that underpin coverage and equity of women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health. She was a co-Principal Investigator for the Children In All Policies 2030 Phase II project in 2023-2024, which looked at how data is used to influence policy for children in the Western Cape. She completed her PhD at SOPH in 2022.

Mary’s research and policy interests focus primarily on maternal, newborn and child health. She is passionate about using data for action, strengthening implementation of policies, and ensuring respectful care for women and children, including maternity services, family-centred care for preterms and sick babies, and bereavement care after a stillbirth.

Mary is a member of South Africa’s People’s Health Movement Steering Committee and serves on several global and national technical working and oversight groups, including AlignMNH Steering Committee, the International Stillbirth Alliance, and the MPDSR Technical Working Group.

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