The Task Force for Global Health

The Task Force for Global Health is a 501(c)(3) international nonprofit organization affiliated with Emory University. According to Forbes magazine, it was the fourth largest non-profit in the United States in 2015 in terms of private donor support.[1] It is based in Decatur, Georgia, near partners at the CDC, The Carter Center, CARE, and Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.

History

The organization was co-founded by global health pioneer and former CDC Director, Dr. William Foege and two of his former CDC colleagues, Carol Walters and Bill Watson. It was founded in 1984 as the Task Force for Child Survival. The Task Force was initially tapped to serve as a Secretariat for a consortium of global health organizations: UNICEF, WHO, The Rockefeller Foundation, The United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank. These organizations sought Task Force support for a collaborative effort to improve child wellness and survival strategies. With the Task Force as Secretariat for the network, they resolved to work together to develop and implement a plan for global immunization efforts and measures to promote and maintain healthy children and families.

Over its history, The Task Force has expanded the role of neutral convener and collaborator to address a broader range of global health challenges. In doing so, the organization changed its name to The Task Force for Global Health in 2009. Today, The Task Force has programs in three critical sectors of global health: Health System Strengthening, Immunization and Vaccines (the Task Force Center for Vaccine Equity), and neglected tropical diseases. In each sector, The Task Force works with partners and communities around the world to provide resources to improve global health for those in need. The organization works in 138 countries, collaborating with organizations such as the World Health Organization, as well as partnerships with industry to provide much needed medicines and communities to educate about disease prevention.

References

  1. "Task Force for Global Health". Forbes. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
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