On Wednesday, October 8, TCNJ hosted Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a guest lecturer. Mr. Kolker began a career in diplomacy working as a U.S. Ambassador to Uganda (2002-2005) and Burkina Faso (1992-2002).
His work gradually transitioned into the realm of global health diplomacy, and he was appointed Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Initiative under the Bush Administration. Today, Mr. Kolker is one of the key leaders of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which overseas numerous government agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration.
In case you missed it, here’s a quick snippet of five key ideas from Ambassador Kolker’s talk on Ebola and Global Health Diplomacy.
Fact #5: Ebola spreads via direct contact with body fluids
The biology and pathology of the Ebola virus is based on systemic infection through the bloodstream. Key receptors encoded in the genome allow the virus to infiltrate the host circulatory system and cause damage. However, it is virtually impossible for these genetic components to mutate in any manner to cause Ebola to become airborne, and therein a completely different kind of international health threat. Basically collegiettes, you absolutely cannot get Ebola unless you are in DIRECT contact with an infected individual. Which brings us to fact #4…
Fact #4: Ebola is a public health emergency… for HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Given that Ebola is spread via direct contact with body fluids, those who are at greatest risk for contracting the virus are healthcare workers attending to Ebola patients. Ebola certainly deserves attention as a health threat given that there have been about 4,500 deaths over a seventh month period. Diarrheal disease, on the other hand, kills over 1.5 million children each year. Given that context, it is warranted to be alert about Ebola, not because of fear or panic, but to be critical of the key protocol breaches and internal mechanisms that led to the rapid proliferation of this epidemic. But wait…what does epidemic exactly mean?
Fact #3: Ebola is indeed an epidemic, but be sure you know what the word means while you’re throwing it around!
Okay, so Ambassador Kolker didn’t stress this point that much, but I think it’s important to touch on. As soon as the word epidemic is used our minds rush to imagine face masks, hazmat suits, crowded hospitals and other code-red, Contagion-esque scenarios. The dictionary definition of epidemic, however, is “an outbreak or unusually high occurrence of a disease or illness in a population or area.” So, Ebola is an epidemic not because it is killing thousands of individuals every day (it’s not), but because there simply shouldn’t be the number of cases that we are currently seeing. So, why are we seeing more cases then we should, and how do we manage them?
Fact #2: Politics and sociology are just as important as science and epidemiology in managing the current spread of Ebola
Ambassador Kolker explained the U.S.’s 4 Point Plan in Africa which stresses control, economics, politics and social components related to the spread of Ebola. The region of the main Ebola outbreak has seen years of civil war and political unrest, putting health security and communication at a disadvantage. While one may be quick to ask about vaccines and medication, one of the most important steps in managing Ebola and preventing further spread of future outbreaks involves fortification of health security infrastructure, both in African countries and here in the United States. This includes better protocols for surveillance, detecting and reporting of disease and ultimately, being conscious of our final fact…
Fact #1: Ebola highlights the changing field of global diplomacy
International health has long been characterized by a donor-recipient relationship, with high burden, lower incoming countries receiving aid and programming from lower burden, higher income nations. However, there has currently been a shift away from this paradigm, with nations becoming more aware of the wide array of domestic stakeholders when it comes to health. Rather than seeking international donors to implement programs and initiatives, countries are interested in fostering technical international partnerships and bolstering internal management of disease. Ebola has shown us that much of the U.S government support in Africa wasn’t enough to manage the spread of the virus, and diplomats have a key role in facilitating not simply outside support mechanisms, but internal health communication and infrastructure.