On Thursday February 7th 2017, the Georgia Global Health Alliance’s quarterly meeting featured a conversation with Doctors Paul Farmer and Bill Foege at CDC’s Global Communication Center. CDC Director, Dr. Redfield, was on hand to welcome the audience and speakers and provided a brief overview of how the featured speakers continue to guide the trajectory of public health.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC’s Principal Deputy Director, moderated a conversation with Drs. Foege and Farmer. The conversation style of the event was a hit with the audience and speakers featuring lots of humorous offshoots and good-natured one-upmanship. Of course, there was plenty of sober discussion of the global health challenges we face and the optimism we need to overcome them.
Key highlights include Dr. Foege’s opening thoughts that we, as Americans, need to approach global health with great humility, listening more than advising, and looking for local solutions. Dr. Farmer warned the audience not to become socialized to scarcity for others emphasizing that we have the knowledge and the resources to provide on a larger scale.
We were delighted to see many of GGHA’s members in attendance. 200 attended in-person and nearly 400 viewing the live stream. This meeting was a great opportunity to bring together our close partners and new, interested organizations to hear from these luminaries who help make Atlanta a true Global Health Hub. Thanks to CDC and staff for hosting the event and we wouldn’t have been able to make this a reality without help from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Our next quarterly meeting will take place in June. Stay tuned!
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Dr. Farmer is the, Kolokotrones University Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine and co-founder of the international humanitarian organization, Partners in Health. Dr. Bill Foege, a former CDC Director, is credited with developing the global strategy that resulted in smallpox eradication–the only human disease that has ever been eradicated.