Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Former CDC Chief Frieden's New Initiative Will Focus On Heart Health, Epidemic Preparedness
The New York Times: Frieden’s Next Act: Heart Disease And Preparing For New Epidemics
After running the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for eight years under President Obama, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden is starting a global health initiative that will focus on two big areas: heart health and epidemic preparedness. Called Resolve, it is funded with $225 million over five years by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program will be based at Vital Strategies, a public health nonprofit in New York, the city where Dr. Frieden served as health commissioner under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Belluck and Hoffman, 9/12)
The Washington Post: Former CDC Chief Launches $225 Million Global Health Initiative
Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is starting a new initiative to tackle some of global health’s thorniest issues: cardiovascular disease and epidemics. Frieden, a former New York City health commissioner who spent seven years leading the CDC during the Obama administration, said he chose those two issues based on his “unique vantage point of surveying the world and seeing where there were areas that really are at a tipping point.” Strategic investment and action in each of these areas can make substantial differences, he said. (Sun, 9/12)
In other news —
The Washington Post: Melinda Gates Decries ‘Loss Of U.S. Leadership’ In Global Aid
Melinda Gates is calling on world leaders to step up global aid funding, saying “a loss of U.S. leadership” is resulting in “confusion and chaos” in some of the most vulnerable corners of the planet. The billionaire philanthropist and her husband, Bill, who spoke in separate interviews at the offices of their charitable foundation last week, have deep concerns about the global repercussions of the federal budget debate in Washington. The Trump administration has recommended that the United States — which contributes $12 billion out of the $34 billion spent on foreign assistance each year — reduce its support in almost all areas of public health, including infectious diseases and family planning. (Cha, 9/13)
