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Atlanta Leaders on the Future of Global Health
Nearly 200 people gathered at The Task Force for Global Health this month to discuss Atlanta’s role as a global health hub. Attendees at the Oct. 4 panel discussion, Atlanta Leaders on the Future of Global Health: A Community Dialogue, heard from leaders of four agencies on current trends, emerging challenges, and how Atlanta institutions and their partnerships are fostering a healthier world. “These four people here today are an illustration of the extraordinary influence Atlanta has on global health around the world,” said panel moderator Rickey Bevington, president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. “Not just one of these organizations, but numerous ones here in the city that are transforming lives, saving lives, and ultimately protecting Americans through their work.”
The state of Georgia is home to more than 230 public health organizations working in more than 150 countries. The event, part of the Decatur Book Festival, featured panelists Patrick O’Carroll, President and CEO of The Task Force for Global Health; Kashef Ijaz, Vice President for Health Programs at The Carter Center; Joyce Sepenoo, Senior Director of Global Health Programs for CARE USA; and Brandon Talley, Chief Program and Innovation Officer of the CDC Foundation.
Watch the video highlights from the panel discussion below
“Global health is truly global,” said Dr. Ijaz of The Carter Center. “And by that, what I mean is it is multi-sectoral. No one can work in global health in isolation, and that requires … partnership, collaboration, coordination, and that’s key to it. It’s between multiple sectors, public sector, private sector, as well as academia, and then, most importantly, with the countries, when you look at global from a global standpoint, with the ministries of health.”
Ms. Sepenoo of CARE highlighted the benefits from being located in the ecosystem of Atlanta.
“Partnerships are really at the heart of global health,” she said”Collectively, we are able to achieve that impact and address the needs of populations around the world because of the partnerships that we are able to form here.”
While reflecting on recent U.S. policy changes and decreased funding for global health, Dr. Talley of the CDC Foundation highlighted the importance of sharing stories to inspire greater public health support.
“Public health often doesn’t get noticed until something is going wrong. And there’s so much that public health does that it gets right,” he said. “How do we do a better job of communicating that, creating narratives around that, communicating what return on investment is, to the people, to the colleagues, to the leaders that make decisions about appropriations, and funding is really, really key.”
Looking to the future, Dr. O’Carroll spoke to the purpose of the work.
“The goal of global health has always been, at least in my lifetime, to help countries stand up these capacities, develop their own skills, do their own acquisition of medicines they need, train their own nurses and doctors and epidemiologists and carry that on on behalf of their own people. And the story of global health is one of astonishing success,” he said.
Dr. Ijaz also emphasized the significance of protecting people from diseases that blind, disable and stigmatize, a group of diseases known as Neglected Tropical Diseases, which include trachoma, leprosy and intestinal worms
“As President Carter used to say, there are no neglected diseases, just neglected people,” he said.
Audience members asked about topics such as misinformation, how the cultures of Atlanta communities have influenced global health work, and advice to young people who want to work in public health.
In addition to the panel discussion, Tall Tales Book Shop sold a curated collection of public health titles, including books by Task Force Co-Founder Dr. Bill Foege such as The Task Force for Child Survival, House on Fire and his most recent book, Change Is Possible: Reflections on the History of Global Health. Task Force also had a festival booth where staff shared information about Task Force’s work.
“This year, more than ever, it meant so much to have The Task Force for Global Health as part of our Decatur Book Festival programming,” said Leslie Wingate, Executive Director of the Decatur Book Festival, one of the largest independent book festivals in the U.S.. “The fact that 200 people attended their global health program speaks volumes about the relevance and impact of their work.”
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