The Foreign Service Journal, May 2017

36 MAY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Leveraging Expertise Across the U.S. Government Many U.S. government agencies work in the health sector. Some have a domestic focus while others, like USAID, have a specific international mandate. This international expertise and technical capacity can be harnessed in times of crisis, as was demonstrated in the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. At that time, USAID was already working with the govern- ment of Liberia to provide primary care services to a third of its population. Foreign Service Officer Bethany Geddis joined the mission in Liberia in 2012 to manage USAID’s relationship with the government. “When Ebola crossed the border into Liberia, USAID was in a position to immediately work with the Ministry of Health on a rapid response,” says Geddis. “Our in-country pres- ence, long-established relationships and role as a trusted techni- cal partner in health laid a solid foundation for the interagency to quickly respond.” USAID worked with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish training protocols for Ebola treatment unit staffers and placement of labo- ratories. Adapting protocols for infection, prevention and control in Ebola treatment and health clinics leveraged CDC’s technical expertise, USAID’s relationships and DoD’s training capabilities. “Working together, we were able to quickly roll out a new set of protocols and associated training for health care workers,” says Geddis. USAIDwas also able to ensure that these protocols were institutionalized into the health system after the initial outbreak. Further, she said, “USAIDworked with Defense to ensure that mobile labs coming into the country were placed in rural areas that had the capacity tomaintain them (even if temporarily) and were aligned with the Ministry of Health’s national laboratory plan.” According to Adams, many multi-stakeholder initiatives in global health are an outgrowth of partnerships with different U.S. government agencies. She points to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and the Global Financing Facility and Family Planning 2020 as examples of global health initiatives in which the U.S. government has tremendous influence and clout. Promoting Core American Values Foreign Service officers want to make a positive contribution to United States foreign policy objectives. Those who choose to work in global health are also driven by a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and improve the lives of the most vulnerable. They often see their careers as more of a calling than a duty. “Many of us who work in the health development field feel strongly that people all over the world should have the oppor- tunity for a better life,” notes Panther. “In the health sector, this translates into improved family health and well-being, which plays a significant role in lifting people out of abject poverty. Community service is a big part of the American way of life, and what better community to serve than the world community, especially those who live in extreme poverty?” Many Foreign Service health officers start their careers in the Peace Corps, serving in remote areas of impoverished countries, where they witness firsthand what it means to lack access to basic health services and to die of easily preventable diseases. While Foreign Service health officers want to put an end to needless suffering, they are also conscientious about U.S. government spending and accountability. Good governance, open data, transparency, and careful management and oversight of resources are among the values they try to instill through their work in global health. n U.S. leadership in global health often sets the tone, pushing other countries to take health issues seriously and to establish commitments on a global level. Jennifer Adams (second from right), USAID acting assistant administrator for global health, with other members of the Food and Drug Board of Ghana. USAID