William H. Foege, one of the most respected leaders in global public health, takes readers on a tour of his time at the CDC.
In its seventy years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has evolved from a malaria control program to an institution dedicated to improving health for all people across the world. The Fears of the Rich, The Needs of the Poor is a revealing account of the CDC’s development by its former director, public health luminary William H. Foege.
Dr. Foege tells the stories of pivotal moments in public health, including the eradication of smallpox (made possible due in part to Foege’s research) and the discovery of Legionnaires’ disease, Reye syndrome, toxic shock syndrome, and HIV/AIDS. With good humor and optimism, he recounts the various crises he surmounted, from threats of terrorist attacks to contentious congressional hearings and funding cuts. Highlighting the people who made possible some of public health’s biggest successes, Foege outlines the work required behind the scenes and describes the occasional tensions between professionals in the field and the politicians in charge of oversight.
In recent years, global public health initiatives have come from unanticipated sources. Giants in the field now include President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, who promote programs aimed at neglected diseases. Melinda and Bill Gates have invigorated the field through research and direct program support, especially in the area of vaccine-preventable diseases. And the Merck Mectizan program has dramatically reduced river blindness in Africa. Foege has been involved in all of these efforts, among others, and he brings to this book the knowledge and wisdom derived from a long and accomplished career. The Fears of the Rich, The Needs of the Poor is an inviting but unvarnished account of that career and offers a plethora of lessons for those interested in public health.
Table of Contents:
Preface
1. A Threat
2. Security
3. Lassa and Ebola
4. A Short History of the CDC
5. The Fears of the Rich and the Needs of the Poor
6. Balancing Babies and the Marketplace
7. Toxic Shock
8. Serendipity and Unexpected Paths
9. The Mysterious Deaths of Veterans
10. An Unexpected Return to the CDC
11. Disaster Relief
12. Smallpox Claims Its Last Victims
13. Coming into the United States
14. Organizing for Success
15. Vaccines
16. Do No Harm
17. Global Health
18. Positive Politics
19. Toxic Politics
20. Reye Syndrome
21. Comic Relief
22. Reducing the Toll of Injuries
23. Uncommon People
24. AIDS
25. Blind Spots
26. On Budgets and Burglars
Acknowledgments
Appendix
References
Index
About the Author :
William H. Foege, MD, MPH, is emeritus presidential distinguished professor of international health at Emory University and an early consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is the author of House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox. In 2012, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Review :
I would recommend the book to anyone interested in, or who works within, the field of public health. It is an excellent book that can be included on reading lists for public/global health modules.
—Andrew Southgate, Canterbury Christ Church University, Nursing Times
This insider's history of the politics, health processes, and management issues involved in maintaining and expanding the CDC's influence around the world should be required reading for anyone interested in public health on a global scale.
—Donovan's Literary Services
By sharing real stories of infectious diseases that devastated populations and how Foege and his colleagues grew into the leaders that helped bring these epidemics under control, the book provides guidance and inspiration for current and future public health workforces. Although public health can be a thankless profession, through this memoir Foege reminds us how indispensable the field is for our world's future.
—Emerging Infectious Diseases
Beautiful, wonderful, clear encouraging book
—Anna Maria Polidori
