Leticia Vaz Ferreira

Uruguay's first female physician who broke gender barriers in medical education and public health

Leticia Vaz Ferreira (1887-1975) shattered Latin American gender norms by becoming Uruguay's first female doctor in 1912. Her pioneering work in public health included establishing the country's first vaccination programs for children in Montevideo's marginalized neighborhoods. As director of the University of the Republic's medical school (1930-1945), she reformed curricula to include community health practices. Ferreira's research on malaria prevention techniques reduced mortality rates by 40% in rural areas. She founded the Leticia Vaz Ferreira Health Institute, which trained over 500 nurses during her tenure. Her advocacy for women's access to medical education inspired laws that increased female enrollment in STEM fields from 12% to 38% nationally by 1960. Ferreira's legacy is preserved in the annual medical award given to public health innovators in Latin America.