Roosa Sofia Tikkanen

Om

I'm a PhD candidate (2021-25) at the Center for Global Health Inequalities Research (CHAIN), where I study working conditions of community health workers (CHWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As front-line primary health care workers, they play a key role in addressing socioeconomic inequalities in health, particularly for maternal and child health outcomes. My research focuses on working conditions of CHWs, examined through feminist political economy theory, as these workers are often female, have a relatively low socioeconomic status, and unpaid workers lacking traditional labor protections. I study movements by CHWs to advocate for stronger labor rights through strikes, protests and unionization. I'm a member of the Norwegian Research School for Global Health (NRSGH), Women in Global Health Norway and Health Systems Global.

Before joining CHAIN, I worked at the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based philanthrophy/think-tank where I conducted comparative health policy research including on primary care performance, income-based inequalities, health systems and universal coverage, social spending, and maternal care. Prior to this, I was a Policy Analyst at the Center for Health Law and Policy, University of Massachusetts Medical School in Boston, where I consulted on state-based projects on health services financing and delivery, including community health worker programs in the U.S. My research has also documented racial inequalities in access to and public funding of hospitals in New York. I hold a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and a Masters in Research (MRes) in Integrative Biology and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester, England. See full CV for further details on my professional background.

Forskning

Publikasjoner

Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: an analysis of ethnographic studies

This paper explores violence and harassment faced by community health workers, an exceptionally vulnerable cadre that often lacks institutional, physical, financial and social protection. The paper includes suggestions from CHWs on addressing the problem

An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change

Our analysis highlights how issues of gender, workload, and pay have persisted in Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer Program during the 35-year history of the program.

Recognizing the Labour Behind Care—The Fight for Dignity and Rights Among South Asia’s Community Healthcare Workers

In this Labor Day blog post published in PLoS Global Health's Speaking of Medicine and Health blog, Vaishnavi Mangal, Deepika Saluja and I summarize labor movements of South Asia's all-female community health worker cadres in India, Nepal and Pakistan

2025

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2025) Professionalisation of Community Health Workers: Formalisation as a Second Pillar of Job Security. International Journal of Health Planning and Management
Brev til redaktøren
Sultan, Marium; Miller, Emily; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Kullu, Arpana; Cometto, Giorgio. (2025) Competency-based Education and Training for Community Health Workers: A Scoping Review. BMC Health Services Research
Vitenskapelig artikkel

2024

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Closser, Svea; Prince, Justine; Chand, Priyankar; Justice, Judith. (2024) An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change. International Journal for Equity in Health
Vitenskapelig artikkel

2023

Closser, Svea; Sultan, Marium; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Majidulla, Arman; Maes, Kenneth. (2023) Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: An analysis of ethnographic studies. BMJ Global Health
Vitenskapelig artikkel

2022

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) [Protocol] Scoping Review Protocol on community health worker views of their remuneration arrangements and collective labor movements in low- and middle-income countries.
Annet produkt
FitzGerald, Molly; Gunja, Munira; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) Primary Care in High-Income Countries: How the United States Compares. The Commonwealth Fund Washington, DC
Vitenskapelig artikkel

2021

Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2021) The U.S. Has an Abysmal Track Record for Maternal Health. Ms.
Kronikk
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; FitzGerald, Molly; Fields, Katharine; Williams, Reginald D. (2021) Income-Related Inequality In Affordability And Access To Primary Care In Eleven High-Income Countries. Health Affairs
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Osborn, Robin. (2021) International Lessons for the United States on Population Health, Health Care, and Health Policy. The University Press of Kentucky
Faglig kapittel

2020

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Robin, Osborn; Elias, Mossialos; Ana, Djordjevic; George, Wharton. (2020) 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems. The Commonwealth Fund
Rapport
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Wharton, George; Djordjevic, Ana; Mossialos, Elias; Williams, Reginald II. (2020) A new resource to understand how countries have responded to COVID-19. London School of Economics and Political Science Blog
Kronikk
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2020) The shameful abundance of birth- and pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. STAT
Kronikk
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Social Spending to Improve Population Health — Does the United States Spend as Wisely as Other Countries?. New England Journal of Medicine
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Primary Care Physicians’ Role In Coordinating Medical And Health-Related Social Needs In Eleven Countries. Health Affairs
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Role of Primary Care Practices in Screening for Patient Social Needs in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. Health Services Research (HSR)
Sammendrag/abstract

2017

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Steffie, Woolhandler; David, Himmelstein. (2017) FUNDING CHARITY CARE IN NEW YORK: An Examination of Indigent Care Pool Allocations. New York State Health Foundation
Rapport
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2017) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Connecticut: Translating Science into Practice. Connecticut Health Foundation
Rapport
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Woolhandler, Steffie; Himmelstein, David U; Kressin, Nancy R; Hanchate, Amresh; Lin, Meng-Yun. (2017) Hospital Payer and Racial/Ethnic Mix at Private Academic Medical Centers in Boston and New York City. International Journal of Health Services
Vitenskapelig artikkel

2016

Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2016) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Maine. Commonwealth Medicine Publications
Rapport

Tidsskriftspublikasjoner

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2025) Professionalisation of Community Health Workers: Formalisation as a Second Pillar of Job Security. International Journal of Health Planning and Management
Brev til redaktøren
Sultan, Marium; Miller, Emily; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Kullu, Arpana; Cometto, Giorgio. (2025) Competency-based Education and Training for Community Health Workers: A Scoping Review. BMC Health Services Research
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Closser, Svea; Prince, Justine; Chand, Priyankar; Justice, Judith. (2024) An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change. International Journal for Equity in Health
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Closser, Svea; Sultan, Marium; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Majidulla, Arman; Maes, Kenneth. (2023) Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: An analysis of ethnographic studies. BMJ Global Health
Vitenskapelig artikkel
FitzGerald, Molly; Gunja, Munira; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) Primary Care in High-Income Countries: How the United States Compares. The Commonwealth Fund Washington, DC
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2021) The U.S. Has an Abysmal Track Record for Maternal Health. Ms.
Kronikk
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; FitzGerald, Molly; Fields, Katharine; Williams, Reginald D. (2021) Income-Related Inequality In Affordability And Access To Primary Care In Eleven High-Income Countries. Health Affairs
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Wharton, George; Djordjevic, Ana; Mossialos, Elias; Williams, Reginald II. (2020) A new resource to understand how countries have responded to COVID-19. London School of Economics and Political Science Blog
Kronikk
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2020) The shameful abundance of birth- and pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. STAT
Kronikk
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Social Spending to Improve Population Health — Does the United States Spend as Wisely as Other Countries?. New England Journal of Medicine
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Primary Care Physicians’ Role In Coordinating Medical And Health-Related Social Needs In Eleven Countries. Health Affairs
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Role of Primary Care Practices in Screening for Patient Social Needs in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. Health Services Research (HSR)
Sammendrag/abstract
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Woolhandler, Steffie; Himmelstein, David U; Kressin, Nancy R; Hanchate, Amresh; Lin, Meng-Yun. (2017) Hospital Payer and Racial/Ethnic Mix at Private Academic Medical Centers in Boston and New York City. International Journal of Health Services
Vitenskapelig artikkel

Del av bok/rapport

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Osborn, Robin. (2021) International Lessons for the United States on Population Health, Health Care, and Health Policy. The University Press of Kentucky
Faglig kapittel

Rapport

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Robin, Osborn; Elias, Mossialos; Ana, Djordjevic; George, Wharton. (2020) 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems. The Commonwealth Fund
Rapport
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Steffie, Woolhandler; David, Himmelstein. (2017) FUNDING CHARITY CARE IN NEW YORK: An Examination of Indigent Care Pool Allocations. New York State Health Foundation
Rapport
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2017) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Connecticut: Translating Science into Practice. Connecticut Health Foundation
Rapport
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2016) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Maine. Commonwealth Medicine Publications
Rapport

Produkt

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) [Protocol] Scoping Review Protocol on community health worker views of their remuneration arrangements and collective labor movements in low- and middle-income countries.
Annet produkt

Undervisning

Course director

NTNU POL3802 Building Future-Proof Health Systems, Spring 2022
NTNU POL3802 Building Future-Proof Health Systems, Spring 2023

Guest lecturer

New York University (NYU) Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service: U.S. Health Care in a Comparative Perspective. Course on 'Comparative Analysis of Health Systems' (Prof. VG Rodwin), Spring 2024 (virtual)
NTNU: Health Inequalities In Norway. Course on ‘Welfare State and Health Policy: Challenges, Reforms and New Priorities’ (Professor Pål Erling Martinussen), Fall 2022 and 2023
Princeton University: Maternal and Child Health: Social Inequalities in International Perspective. Course on ‘Social Determinants of Health’ (Professor Sanyu Mojola), Spring 2023 (virtual)
NTNU: Health and Inequality in Norway / The Norwegian Health System. Course on ‘Norwegian Society’ (Professor Stefan Geiss/Kevin B Hall). Fall 2022, Fall 2024
Paris School of International Affairs, SciencesPo: Primary Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries’. Course on ‘Health Systems Strengthening and Global Health (Professor G Dedet), Spring 2022 (virtual)
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine: ‘The U.S. Health Care System in International Perspective’. Course on ‘Health Systems, Policy, and Management’ (Professor J Leeman), Spring 2021 (virtual)
State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury, Public Health: ‘The Right to Health Care in Other Countries: A Human Rights Perspective’. Course on ‘Health and Human Rights’ (Instructor: A Djordjevic), Spring 2020
Hunter College School of Urban Public Health, City University of New York (CUNY): ‘Hospital Racial/Ethnic and Insurance Segregation in New York City’. Course on ‘Urban Studies, Healthcare Systems and Health Policy’ (Professors S Woolhandler, D Himmelstein), Fall 2018
New York University (NYU) Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service: ‘Using Measurement to Compare Country Health Systems and Improve Performance’. Course on ‘Comparative Analysis of Health Systems’ (Professor VG Rodwin), Fall 2018
American Medical Student Association Healthcare For All Scholars Program: ‘Is this just an American issue? An Overview of Health Care Access in Other Countries’, Spring 2018 (virtual)
Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medical School: ‘Hospital Care in New York City: Segregation by Race/Ethnicity and Insurance Status’. David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium, Fall 2017

Veiledning

Vår 2022 - SOS3003 - Applied Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences

Formidling