2:00-2:30 PM ET
The 2014 Ebola epidemic in Liberia terrified the world—and revealed how unprepared we are for the next outbreak of an infectious disease. Somewhere in nature, a killer virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey, or pig, preparing to jump to a human being. This not-yet-detected germ has the potential to wipe out millions of lives over a matter of weeks or months. That risk makes the threat posed by ISIS, a ground war, a massive climate event, or even the dropping of a nuclear bomb on a major city pale in comparison.
In The End of Epidemics, Harvard Medical School faculty member and Chair of the Global Health Council Dr. Jonathan D. Quick examines the eradication of smallpox and devastating effects of influenza, AIDS, SARS, and Ebola. Analyzing local and global efforts to contain these diseases and citing firsthand accounts of failure and success, Dr. Quick proposes a new set of actions which he has coined “The Power of Seven,” to end epidemics before they can begin.
A family physician and health management specialist, Dr. Quick is Senior Fellow at Management Sciences for Health (MSH) where he previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2004-2017. MSH is a global health non-profit organization working in the world’s poorest places to build strong, locally led, locally run health systems. Dr. Quick has personally carried out assignments to improve the health and lives of people in over 70 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Dr. Quick also currently serves as chair of the Global Health Council, the leading membership organization supporting and connecting advocates and decision-makers to deliver life-saving services through equitable, inclusive and sustainable investments, and policies.