Posts Tagged ‘congress’

Global Network Ambassador Continues to Make the Case for Global Health

February 17th, 2011

Tommy G. Thompson, former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and former Governor of Wisconsin (1987-2001) spoke out about global health as a key lever in foreign policy on Wednesday in an editorial published by the Huffington Post. Secretary Thompson acknowledges the difficult foreign policy issues facing the 112th Congress and offers up a solution: use health diplomacy to improve international health conditions in order to bolster the U.S. economy and strengthen foreign policy.

He states that health diplomacy involves “winning the hearts and minds of those abroad by strategically exporting medical care and humanitarian aid, building in-country capacity, and providing health education, training and personnel.” By using this deliberately the U.S. can engage in measures to reduce terrorism, increase the number of productive workers, and ultimately “secure our nation’s future and build a strong, stable global community.”

Drawing on his experience, he says: “Health diplomacy must be institutionalized as a critical component of U.S. diplomatic, defense and foreign policy. Global health is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It’s not even exclusively an American issue. It is the moral responsibility and strategic concern of every freedom-loving citizen of the world.”

Governor Thompson has been a Global Network Ambassador since 2008 and a vital voice for NTDs. In August 2008 he traveled throughout Rwanda and joined the Rwandan Ministry of Health in launching their first-ever national deworming campaign. Yesterday’s post follows a 2009 editorial co-authored with Dr. Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in which they examine NTD control as a means of U.S. foreign policy.

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Posted in Africa, Global Health, NTDs, policy, Politics, U.S Government

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Reading List 1/20/2011

January 20th, 2011

It’s a great day for a reading list! Today we’re reading about the new Congress and members who will affect funding levels for U.S. global health programs, former President Jimmy Carter’s recent visit to Sudan to monitor the current referendum, and the role of roundworm in pancreatic cancer research.

Profiles of House Republicans key to global health funding, David Bryden, Science Speaks
112th Congress & Global Health: Additional Profiles of Key Republican House Leaders, David Bryden, Science Speaks
Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Sudan, Jan. 5-16, All Africa
Roundworm Unlocks Pancreatic Cancer Pathway, Science Daily

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Doctors without Borders on The Hill

July 21st, 2010

By: Alanna Shaikh

Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) testified before the US congress today on Neglected Tropical Diseases. The testimony, from Suerie Moon on the U.S. Board of Directors of MSF, was a valuable reminder of why we continue to fight the NTDs, and introduced some of MSF’s core principles in global health. It’s an interesting speech.

She began by talking about NTDs. Her focus was on Chagas diseases, which is a major MSF focus, but the content applies to all the NTDS. First, she pointed out that the US presidential neglected tropical disease initiative only covered 5 out of the 14 Neglected Tropical Diseases. Chagas, as MSF was quick to point out, was not included. Neither were kala azar (aka Visceral leishmaniasis) or Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness).

» Read more: Doctors without Borders on The Hill

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Posted in Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Politics

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President Obama Pledges Support for Global Health in State of the Union

January 28th, 2010

The eyes of the world settled on Washington D.C. yesterday as President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union speech. While the emphasis of the speech was the American economy and domestic issues, President Obama also briefly reiterated America’s commitment to public health abroad. That reiteration took the form of a few brief sentences towards the end of the speech. President Obama stated “We’re helping developing countries to feed themselves, and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease – a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad.”

Following the Obama Administration’s announcement of a top-line freeze on discretionary spending, many began to wonder what impact this would have on global health and development. However, it seems as though public health remains an international priority for this administration.

A continued commitment to global health is important, as one of the key elements the speech hit on was the security of the United States. The fact is that public health, and treating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in particular is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to reduce global instability and improve the security of the United States. NTDs affect populations in nations which are not only poor, but frequently breeding grounds for radicalization and terrorism. According to a 2009 study by Dr. Peter Hotez, nations which are part of the Organization of Islamic Countries account for about half of the world’s schistosome infections, between 200 and 300 million cases of intestinal helminth infections, and a high rate of blinding trachoma. The links between global stability and treating NTDs is obvious when one considers the significant negative impact NTDs have socially, politically, and economically, and the established link between those social cleavages and extremism. Then consider that the top seven NTDs can be treated for a year for only $0.50 per person, and the value of NTD treatment becomes readily apparent.

One of the biggest applauses President Obama got yesterday was when he said “America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity. Always.”  If this administration keeps global health on their agenda, than they have taken a huge step to affirm that.

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Posted in Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Politics, poverty, Public Health, U.S Government

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