Tulane dean leads universities opposing public health funding cuts
When School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Dean Dr. Pierre Buekens travels to a leading international global health conference in Washington, D.C., this week, some of the top academics in the field will be making the case for why global public health funding matters.
Buekens is chair of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). The group’s eighth annual Global Health Conference takes place as the Trump administration has proposed massive budget cuts for global health research and programs, including the NIH’s Fogarty International Center, a global sentinel against epidemics.
“Addressing global health concerns when and where they occur benefits all countries, including the United States."
Dr. Pierre Buekens
“Only a global approach will allow us to find common solutions to health issues which ignore borders and affect us all,” Buekens said. “Addressing global health concerns when and where they occur benefits all countries, including the United States. These efforts make the world safer, reduce human suffering and promote peace as major health emergencies can serve as destabilizing forces.”
The CUGH Annual Conference, which takes place April 6-9, has become the world's leading academic global health conference. The meeting brings together committed leaders, professionals, educators and students from diverse fields of study to discuss and critically assess the global health landscape.
This year’s theme, Healthy People, Healthy Ecosystems: Implementation, Leadership and Sustainability in Global Health, reflects the growing realization that our physical and planetary health are inextricably linked.
