At a Congressional briefing (February 28) held by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), ASTMH Executive Director Karen A. Goraleski moderated a panel discussion on the value of a strong U.S. investment in global health R&D. The GHTC represents 40 global health R&D advocacy organizations, including ASTMH.
With more than 120 attendees including representation from six congressional offices and the HELP Committee filling the Kennedy Caucus Room, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., one of the briefing sponsors, stopped in and spoke to the audience. "It's achievable stuff," he said. "These are difficult problems, but they are very, very solvable. ...You have a lot of support on Capitol Hill. We can be very proud of what's been accomplished so far." Sen. Boozman was an original co-sponsor of the 2011 Malaria Day resolution and, as chair of the House Malaria Caucus, extended it to become the House Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus. He currently co-chairs the Senate Working Group on Malaria.
Key points from the panel included:
- Katherine "Kemy" Monahan, deputy executive director of the Obama Administration's Global Health Initiative, offered that innovation and R&D is a core GHI principle and global health is in the national interest.
- Col. Peter J. Weina, deputy commander of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, briefly touched on the impressive work and cost savings generated by WRAIR. In her remarks, Goraleski noted that every anti-malarial used worldwide has been touched by WRAIR at some point.
- Kevin DeCock, director of the Center for Global Health, CDC, pointed to the positive outcomes achieved via the agency's unique combination of strengths in global health.
- Marc LaForce, director of the Meningitis Vaccine Project, PATH, spoke to the enviable tradition that the U.S. has in research and problem-solving and added that improving health fights poverty and improves the political milieu.