Storella Makes the Argument for U.S. Health Diplomacy in The Hill
Ambassador Mark Storella, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, wrote an op-ed in The Hill on the need for U.S. diplomatic leadership on global health in the age of COVID-19.
In the article, published on June, 29, 2020, Storella outlines multiple times throughout American history when health diplomacy played a critical role in tackling international health emergencies including the yellow fever, the avian flu, and HIV/AIDS. He argues that this practice needs to be central to responding to global health crises as it provides early warning of health emergencies, facilitates a coordinated international response, and serves broader U.S. interests.
An excerpt:
U.S. diplomatic leadership on global health was needed over a century ago and is only more urgently required in the age of COVID-19.
Health diplomacy is essential because we need the cooperation of other countries for early warning of infectious diseases and to marshal an effective response. Diplomacy not only protects the health of the American people, as [former Secretary of State William M.] Everts understood, it protects our prosperity and security.
The full op-ed can be found here.
Ambassador Mark C. Storella was a United States Foreign Service Officer for over three decades serving as Ambassador to Zambia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, and Dean of the Leadership and Management School of the Foreign Service Institute. Storella is recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Excellence in Service Award, the Thomas Jefferson Award presented by American Citizens Abroad, and several Department of State superior and meritorious honor awards. Learn more about him here.