Coming Together for Global Health in Obama’s Second Term
I recently attended a briefing at the Capitol by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Global Health Policy in Obama’s Second Term.
I listened along with a group of congressional staffers to a panel speaking about such exciting topics as eradicating polio and achieving an AIDS-free generation. As the panelists discussed how to get the most out of the United States’ $8 billion investment in global health I noticed a few themes kept coming up, such as the importance of bipartisan support, leadership, a focus on women and girls, sustainability of health initiatives, and the linking of HIV and other health services, an area I find particularly exciting.
One of the main topics of discussion was health diplomacy and the linking of health and politics. Obama’s first term saw intensified engagement of agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH in Department of State activities. It is important that these groups come together in global health because it gets health people talking to diplomacy and finance people, and this collaboration makes more life-saving initiatives possible.
Just as these organizations must come together, in order to ensure global health is a continuous priority in the current economic atmosphere we must gain support from both sides of the aisles of Congress. Panelists spoke about the importance of depoliticizing voluntary family planning services so that women can have the opportunity to control their fertility and therefore, their lives. They celebrated the broad bipartisan support for PEPFAR, and cited increased life expectancy in KwaZulu-Natal, considered the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic, as evidence that PEPFAR truly is making a difference, although there are challenges to address going forward.
Panelists also identified the need for key leadership and champions for global health efforts, especially those that invest in women and girls. As we transition from Secretary of State Clinton, who made a personal commitment to the health of women and girls, we must ensure that we continue to look at global public health through a gender equity lens. Investing in women produces not only favorable health outcomes, but returns in the areas of poverty reduction and development,
One of the most crucial frontiers in pursuit of an AIDS-free generation is the linking of HIV services with other health services, something that makes so much sense, I find myself wondering why we haven’t been doing it all along. HIV services are now being paired with services to address family planning, cervical cancer, and gender-based violence. I fully believe that this comprehensive approach to women’s reproductive and overall health has the potential to save a lot of lives.
The main take-away from this talk was that the achievement of health milestones is possible only through the unification of health professionals, heads of state, communities, and others concerned with the health of women and children around the world. The possibilities are endless, including eradicating polio and achieving zero maternal-to-child HIV transmissions, just to names a few, if we keep in mind the work we did in February here at Every Mother Counts and urge our politicians to come together for the health of women and children.
Written by Holly Crowe
(Photo: Getty Images)
