USAID head highlights science in international development
The United States "can leave an unparalleled legacy in global health in this next decade. To seize this opportunity, we will need to do things very differently." In the first-ever speech at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by a sitting administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Rajiv Shah charted a course forward for the United States' international development programs, including the Global Health Initiative (GHI). He also issued a challenge to stakeholders in the US Government and international development community to prioritize inventing and introducing new solutions for the future.
"We cannot simply seek to do more of the same in an effort to provide services using currently available tools and technologies. Instead, we need to focus our efforts on facilitating a continuum of invention and innovation from bench to bush," Shah said. He added that "we can build a new global health system that better connects what is happening in labs here at NIH with what is needed in USAID field sites and produces real breakthroughs in our capacity to improve the health of the poor."
In order to fully harness the power of science and technology for global health and development, it is critical that USAID develop concrete plans and priorities. According to Shah, USAID plans to "set goals, design strategies, and cut the time it takes to transform discoveries in the lab to success on the ground—shortening the distance between bench and bush in everything we do." The agency must deliver on Shah's promise, as well as engage with civil society groups when developing these goals and strategies.
Throughout his speech, Shah also stressed USAID’s close partnership with other US agencies to advance new global health and development solutions. For example, Shah called on the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to work with USAID on developing shorter and more effective treatment regimens for tuberculosis (TB). Because a range of federal agencies conduct research for global health, it is critical that they work together to maximize their unique areas of expertise.
Shah also highlighted the agency's partnership with several groups developing and delivering new global health tools, including the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative. According to Shah, these and other groups are working on a range of new health tools that could result in huge global health gains. For example, a new rotavirus vaccine that combats diarrhea could save 300,000 children's lives every year. A safe and effective malaria vaccine could help prevent millions of infections annually, and new TB drugs and HIV prevention options can help to turn the tide against the two diseases.
Finally, Shah called on US policymakers to continue a historically bipartisan commitment to global health so that recent gains, including progress against malaria, are not lost. "In a time of fiscal austerity, it may seem wise to look at recent gains and decide we can draw back our commitment to assistance. Current budget proposals circulating Capitol Hill are suggesting just that. But we should be very clear about the impact of that decision," Shah said, adding that "our choice is clear—continue to build on a bipartisan legacy and eliminate malaria as a public health threat, or unwind that progress and put millions of children’s lives at risk."
By building on this bipartisan legacy, developing concrete strategies, and working in partnership with other federal agencies, USAID has the potential to make monumental progress in global health and development.
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