Katherine E. Bliss

Senior Fellow and Director, Immunizations and Health Systems Resilience, Global Health Policy Center
Katherine E. Bliss

Katherine E. Bliss brings her expertise in the social sciences, Latin American studies, and international relations to her work analyzing U.S. government support for health programs in low- and middle-income countries. She is particularly interested in how political and cultural perspectives shape approaches to such global health challenges as HIV/AIDS; vaccine-preventable diseases; and access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Trained as a historian, Katherine spent the early part of her career teaching at the university level and publishing books and articles on gender relations and public health in twentieth-century Mexico. A Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship enabled her to shift her focus to global health policy, placing her at the U.S. Department of State, where she worked on environmental health issues and the development of foreign policy approaches to pandemic preparedness.

At CSIS, Katherine has previously served as deputy director and senior fellow within both the Americas Program and Global Health Policy Center, where she oversaw a multi-program project on the influence of the BRICS countries on the global health agenda and directed the Project on Global Water Policy. Her recent work has examined the health situation in the context of the Venezuelan political crisis and the challenges facing immunization programs within fragile or disordered settings. Katherine received her A.B. in history and literature, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and her Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago. She completed a David E. Bell Fellowship at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.

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The CommonHealth

Minister Dan Jørgensen of Denmark: “Imagine a Pandemic Where You’re Not Able to Treat the Disease Because of Resistance”

Dan Jørgensen reflects on a busy week of spring meetings at the World Bank, the importance of considering gender equality in supporting climate adaptation programs, the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance in the context of climate change, and the role the private sector can play in helping to advance climate mitigation and adaptation projects.

Podcast Episode by Katherine E. Bliss — April 20, 2023

Photo: iLab/CSIS
The CommonHealth

Goodbye, Coronavirus Crisis Update. Hello, The CommonHealth!

Welcome to The CommonHealth, the podcast of the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security. The CommonHealth replaces the Coronavirus Crisis Update.

In it, we delve deeply into the puzzle, at home and abroad, that connects pandemic preparedness and response, HIV/AIDS, routine immunization, primary care, and the geopolitical impacts these have on human and national security.

Podcast Episode by J. Stephen Morrison , Katherine E. Bliss , and H. Andrew Schwartz — March 23, 2023

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Report Launch: Building the CDC the Country Needs

The CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security hosted a roundtable discussion on a new CSIS report, "Building the CDC the Country Needs."

Event by J. Stephen Morrison , Katherine E. Bliss , Tom Inglesby , Julie Gerberding , Tom Frieden , and Susan Brooks — January 17, 2023

Report Launch: Building the CDC the Country Needs

The CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security hosted a roundtable discussion on a new CSIS report, "Building the CDC the Country Needs."

Transcript by J. Stephen Morrison and Katherine E. Bliss — January 17, 2023

Can Pandemic Preparedness and HIV Programming Be Mutually Reinforcing?

Throughout the pandemic, PEPFAR programs have been adapted to help minimize HIV service disruptions and address the Covid-19 needs of people with HIV, demonstrating that the program can pivot, be agile, and respond to non-HIV threats by leveraging its capabilities.

Commentary by Alicia Carbaugh and Katherine E. Bliss — December 16, 2022

Report Launch: Transforming Health Crises with Pandemic Therapies

Please join the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security for the launch of a new report: Transforming Health Crises with Pandemic Therapies

Event by Katherine E. Bliss , J. Stephen Morrison , Gary Edson , and Jenelle Krishnamoorthy — November 10, 2022