The Task Force for Global Health

The Task Force for Global Health is supportive of a growing consensus among African health ministers that river blindness can be eliminated in Africa. River blindness, or onchocerciasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that is endemic in 31 countries in Africa. Although the disease is disappearing, an estimated 120 million people are still at… Read More

Interior renovation work has begun on The Task Force for Global Health’s new 90,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in downtown Decatur. The Task Force will initially occupy three floors of the six-story facility starting in January 2018. The remaining floors will be renovated at a later date. The building project is funded by a $24-million capital campaign that… Read More

A new online networking platform for graduates of field epidemiology training programs (FETPs) is expected to help strengthen public health response to disease outbreaks. Called TEPHIConnect, the platform provides opportunities for more than 10,000 FETP graduates to locate fellow alumni in their areas, share resources and outbreak response opportunities, and identify ways to collaborate on… Read More

An innovative iPad-based infrared scanner is being used for the first time in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an antibiotic in reducing swelling associated with a disfiguring neglected tropical disease called lymphatic filariasis (LF). The infrared volume scanner, developed by the Atlanta-based company LymphaTech, measures leg circumference to create a three-dimensional model…. Read More

With polio eradication on the horizon, The Task Force for Global Health and its partners have compiled lessons learned and best practices from this historical effort to help inform other public health programs. “Polio Endgame & Legacy-Implementation, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned” is a supplement of the Journal of Infectious Diseases that was published on… Read More

Each year an ethnic group called the Maasai lead their herds of cattle across a large stretch of land between Tanzania and Kenya, searching for food and water. The area where this seasonal migration occurs is also endemic to a bacterial disease called trachoma, which is the leading cause of infectious blindness. The Maasai and… Read More

The Task Force’s Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII) is teaming up with Emory University to improve services for patients with metabolic disorders. People with these rare genetic conditions often have complex healthcare needs and individualized dietary requirements that can be challenging for healthcare providers to manage in an optimal manner. In response to growing demand… Read More

By Dave Ross, ScD President and Chief Executive Officer, The Task Force for Global Health The Task Force was originally conceived to bring together the world’s leading global health and development agencies to raise childhood immunization rates in developing countries. Under the guidance of our founder Dr. Bill Foege, The Task Force provided a mechanism… Read More

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