The Foreign Service Journal, May 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2017 25 While nearly every agency and section of our embassy worked on health programs, it did not necessarilymean that they were always in sync. Marum, both M.D.s, set the example for what became a truly col- laborative undertaking for the entire embassy. PEPFAR Coordi- nator Kristie Mikus ensured that this practice of collaboration ricocheted through the rest of the interagency health engagement. u A Public Diplomacy Bonanza America’s public health programming is a uniquely good story reflecting the generosity and technical virtuosity of the American people. Because our health programming occurred throughout Zambia, it gave me opportunities to travel to remote locations, meet and engage local leaders and, with our creative public diplomacy team, craft a steady stream of positive press. Our health programs also attracted very high-profile VIP visits. Former President George W. Bush visited three times, including for the December 2011 global launch of the Pink Rib- bon Red Ribbon initiative to combat cervical cancer. The PRRR partnership continues to this day as an innovative public-private partnership. Former President Bill Clinton visited Zambia on Clinton Foundation business, while former Millennium Chal- lenge Corporation Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yohannes arrived in May 2012 to sign our MCC compact dedicated to boosting economic productivity by reducing waterborne dis- eases. Bill Gates monitored Gates Foundation projects, and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Deborah Birx came to help refurbish and inaugurate a clinic in Livingstone. Senior congressional staff delegations came to study our maternal and child health programs. Each visit was another opportunity to underline the commitment of the American people to Zambia and the positive outcomes of our joint collaboration on health.