The New State Department Office of Global Health Diplomacy: A Second Chance to Get Things Right

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in one of her final acts as secretary, created the Office of Global Health Diplomacy (OGHD) and appointed Dr. Eric Goosby to head the new office. Goosby now combines his new duties with his existing role as head of the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, based at the State Department, where he is responsible for management of the $6 billion President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In early 2013, Ambassador Leslie Rowe, a respected career diplomat, also joined the Office.

In her tenure, Clinton made the secretary’s office the lead high-level force responsible for advancing U.S. policy on global health and this has been reaffirmed by the creation of the OGHD. There is a broad expectation that Secretary John Kerry, who entered office already deeply conversant with the global health agenda and U.S. achievements, will carry Clinton’s legacy forward. It was smart to arrange for the OGHD to be headed by someone who is both as widely known and admired as Dr. Goosby and who already carries considerable authority in overseeing U.S. HIV/AIDS programs and policies (and the single largest global health budget). This improves the odds that the OGHD can be truly impactful in ensuring the continuity of the high-level State Department leadership of health diplomacy.

Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Health Care
Tags
public health