By Crystal D. Swann
November 21, 2005

Richmond (CA) Mayor Irma L. Anderson represented The Conference of Mayors at the 3rd Annual Global Health Summit held November 1-3 in New York City. As Chair of the Conference of Mayors Children, Health, and Human Services Standing Committee, Anderson brought a uniquely local perspective to combating disease prevention. The conference was sponsored by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and TIME magazine. The event brought together an unprecedented group of national and international leaders in the fields of science, politics, business, medicine, media, advocacy, and philanthropy, for in depth and often frank conversation about the responsibility of developing nations to global health needs.

During the “Civic Leaders Breakfast Discussion,” moderated by TIME magazine senior writer Christine Gorman, Anderson stressed the importance of including and engaging local officials in prevention and treatment strategies at the local level. “The mayor as head of the local government can use his/her position not only to speak out and to motivate but work with various groups in the community and also with the state, national government, etc., to put in place the systems (legal, financial, other) that would support a given change in behavior,” stated Anderson. The other session speakers included Timothy Wirth, President, United Nations’ Foundation, Steven Carr, Board of Governor and Chair of International Service Committee, American Red Cross, and Ezra Teshome, Rotary International Polio.

The Global Health Summit was built around a series of solutions-oriented debates that brought together representatives from many sides of an issue for honest and forward thinking collaboration. The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan used the opportunity of the summit to give his first public address on avian flu. Other notable speakers included former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, singer Sonny Bono, and World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. Some meeting outcomes included a $258 million investment by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to address malaria worldwide and the pledge by Wolfowitz to have the World Bank review its policies that prevented the hiring of health workers.

Overwhelmingly, the conversation whether it was about AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis, seemed to revolve around three common themes; capacity, resources, and access. Whether a country had the capacity including water and waste water infrastructure, medical personnel, and transportation infrastructure; whether they have the resources including domestic and foreign financial aid; and whether the countries people had access to healthcare, nutritious foods, clean water and most important modern medicines. Many of the diseases that are ravishing the continent of Africa, for example, are preventable. Malaria is preventable and treatable yet everyday 3000 children will die from a mosquito bit. Measles are preventable with a vaccine, which as been available for 40 years, yet deaths still occurs. The consensus is that much progress had been made but much more is needed if we are to stop the spread of curable and preventable diseases in the world. For more information on the Global Health Summit point your web browser to www.time.com and search under global health.

of curable and preventable diseases in the world. For more information on the Global Health Summit point your web browser to www.time.com and search under global health.