The Task Force for Global Health

Patrick Lammie, PhD, chief scientist for The Task Force’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center, was recently honored with two prestigious awards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for his significant contributions to public health. Lammie received the William C. Watson, Jr. Medal of Excellence, which is CDC’s highest honor, and the Charles C. Shepard… Read More

A new research project in Ethiopia is evaluating a diagnostic test for determining whether trachoma, the leading cause of infectious blindness, has been eliminated within a population. The global effort to eliminate trachoma by 2020 includes mass drug administration (MDA) with antibiotic donated by Pfizer. Detecting transmission of the disease after MDA stops is seen… Read More

Teri McClure, JD, a senior executive at United Parcel Service (UPS), has been named chair of The Task Force for Global Health Board of Directors. She succeeds Jane Thorpe, JD, who retired from the board in April after 15 years of service. McClure takes the helm of The Task Force’s all-volunteer board during a period… Read More

An estimated 0.8 percent of people with certain primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDs) excrete poliovirus for prolonged periods after receiving oral polio vaccine, according to a study led by The Task Force for Global Health that appeared in the June 13 issue of Frontiers in Immunology. With eradication of wild poliovirus expected soon, increasing attention… Read More

Task Force President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dave Ross, ScD, is among 15 public health champions who have been recognized as “Georgia Giants in Public Health” by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Ross was honored at a June 15 event in Atlanta to mark ASTHO’s 75th anniversary. He was cited… Read More

By Dr. Dionisio Herrera Guibert, Director of TEPHINET I recently attended a graduation ceremony in Haiti for 25 field epidemiologists who completed a training program in detecting and responding to Zika outbreaks in their communities. It was an honor to participate in this ceremony along with Dr. Patrick O’Carroll who leads our health systems strengthening… Read More

A trachoma-free world is within reach, but challenges remain in eliminating the disease from all endemic countries by 2020. That’s the assessment of Paul Emerson, PhD, director of the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) at The Task Force for Global Health. At a June 6-8 meeting of the Trachoma Expert Committee (TEC), Emerson and other experts… Read More

For the first time, Kenya now has a complete picture of its healthcare workforce, which will help officials address critical shortages and uneven distribution of health professionals that leaves rural and hard-to-reach areas without adequate healthcare. The new report on the status of Kenya’s healthcare workforce was derived from data gathered and analyzed by regulatory… Read More

The Hilton Prize Coalition’s Leading Thoughts series provides a glimpse into the approaches driving recipients of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. In this video, Task Force President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Ross, ScD, reflects on the importance of health systems strengthening to creating lasting change. See the video here.

By Meg Farrell, MPH, Polio Eradication Support, The Task Force for Global Health I recently had the opportunity to travel to Nigeria to help assess the country’s ongoing response to a polio outbreak. In my role, I am posted to UNICEF where I support the multi-partner Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Nigeria has had a… Read More