The Rockefeller Foundation. New York, NY.
September 20-21, 2007.
Dr. Mirta Roses, Director of the Pan American Health Organization as a Regional Office for the Americas
for the World Health Organization attented this important meeting last week under the
Public Health subject
in the Panel Pandemic threats & public health surveillance.
Emerging infectious diseases have caused significant
global human and economic loss and disproportionately threaten the health and livelihoods of poor people.
The hypothesis is that surveillance of these problems should be coupled with response capabilities in a
way that strengthens the overall local and national health information system. The Rockefeller Brother Fund would like the panel’s
and the group’s input on how they can strengthen this capacity in a comprehensive and synergistic manner.
How can nations collaborate better across borders in sharing information and response teams? What is the
role of new information and communication technologies to gather, share, analyze and display
surveillance data in developing countries? How do we work across disciplinary boundaries to address
animal health – a common denominator for many pandemics?
Background information
The field of global health has undergone a dramatic transformation during the last decade with
unprecedented funding and new institutional models. While some problems are now being addressed,
“open source anarchy” has ensued and new challenges and opportunities are emerging. For nearly a century,
the Rockefeller Foundation has been a trailblazer in philanthropic innovation to address the needs of
the poor. Ten years ago, a series of conferences in Pocantico helped redefine the global health agenda
and the role the foundation could play. While they are proud of the achievements over the past decade, they
are now searching new paths in global health while reinventing theirselves to serve the needs of the poor
better.
Structure of the Discussion
The meeting focus on a number of areas to explore and develop:
1. The importance of the area for poor and vulnerable people
2. The opportunity for The Rockefeller Foundation to have an impact
3. Where within the area to focus and how to engage in collaboration and partnership
The meeting was organized as a series of panels, where each panelist provided a brief remarks, after which
the panels was opened for general discussion.
Trends in Global Health
The field of global health has been radically transformed in the last decade. Driven by concerns about
AIDS, the arrival of new philanthropy and other players, the field has seen a significant increase in
resources for previously starved public health programs on priority problems. At the same time,
non-communicable diseases and associated risk factors have doubled the burden and challenge for
developing countries. There is increasing recognition of the weakness and importance of health systems,
with increasing expenditures not always realizing equitable coverage, quality and efficiency of health
services. The institutional landscape has also evolved without a clear architecture. How will the world
tackle these and new challenges? What opportunities are emerging for developing countries? What are our
roles and should they change?
Public Health
Panels:
Pandemic threats & public health surveillance
New competencies for public health
Health Care
Panels:
Access to technologies & social innovations for the poor
e-Health – ICT for health in the global south
The role of the private sector in health
More information:
New Initiatives and Opportunities for Global Health. Rockefeller Foundation. (.pdf)
Rockefeller Brother Fund. Website
For
more information, please contact Diaz, Eng. Katia (WDC), Director's Office Web Master.
