Dr. Julie Gerberding: Smart Global Health for Smart Power
September 25, 2009
Former CDC director Julie Gerberding delivered a speech at CSIS Wednesday on the importance of Smart Global Health in the future for global health development. Gerberding embraced the concept of smart power, referring to the original report as a "watershed opportunity to rethink how we go about approaching the issues of international development assistance."
Her speech focused on converting "hard power" requirements to "soft power" requirements by initiating mutual engagement with developing countries in the effort of working towards a common good. She emphasized the need for horizontal leadership across organizational boundaries and highlighted the importance of measuring results in a more holistic way in order to understand the true impact that global health initiatives have on people. Dr. Gerberding also included the necessity for increased support and investment for global health research, suggesting that this would be important in aiding methods of implementation and other outlined priorities under the new global health initiative.
Gerberding's talk also touched on the Global Development Agenda's recommended actions, suggesting the creation of an independent global health corporation to allow planning, implementation and measurement accountability, and the importance of addressing and strengthening the WHO's work force and resources.
Gerberding concluded her talk with the statement "We need to first get it right in America before we can be credible to the world," referring to the importance of making sure that American health initiatives are not emulated or introduced in other countries without an evidence-based evaluation of their values.
Watch this entire speech below:
Also, please listen to our short, Interview Series Podcast with Dr. Gerberding (MP3 - 6:11). Special thanks to Marie Therese Ridoff for authoring this post.
