By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health, The Carter Center Completely wiping out a disease is nearly impossible. In all of history, only one human disease has been eradicated — smallpox, in 1980 after a herculean global vaccination campaign that took decades to complete. Polio persists (albeit in small numbers) despite the availability of a highly […]
Author Archives: The Carter Center
Posted inGlobal Health & Development
Peace and Health Go Hand in Hand. We Must Pursue Both.
By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health, and Barbara J. Smith, Vice President-Peace, The Carter Center Back in the turbulent 1960s, there was a popular poster — today it would be a meme on social media — that said, “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” More than 50 years and uncounted conflicts […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Partner Countries Take Ownership of Their Success
By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health, The Carter Center Following on my commentary last month regarding health care capacity building at the community level, it’s fitting now to acknowledge our government partners’ eagerness and ability to exercise ownership of programs taking place within their borders. A prime example is the Carter Center’s Public Health Training […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Health Programs’ Benefits Remain Long After We’re Gone
By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President of Health Programs, The Carter Center The Carter Center’s neglected tropical disease programs treat and prevent Guinea worm disease, trachoma, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis, with the goal to control, eliminate, and eradicate. Beyond the alleviation of the human suffering caused by these illnesses, this work brings ancillary […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Pandemic Proves Global Mental Health Can’t Be Ignored
By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health, The Carter Center Global mental health has been called the “silent,” “parallel,” or “next” pandemic. In fact, mental health was deteriorating even before the COVID-19 crisis unfolded. In 2018, The Carter Center contributed to a Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health, which says that “the global burden of disease […]
Posted inThought Leadership
The Carter Center, a Global Health Pioneer for 35 years, Steps into SR Lineup
The Carter Center is honored to join The Saporta Report’s Global Health Thought Leaders rotation. For readers who may not be familiar with our work, allow us to introduce ourselves. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University. The Carters […]
