GHC 3.0

July 08, 2019

Dear friends and allies of Global Health Council,

As we approach 50 years since Global Health Council was established (formerly the National Council of International Health), we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, but also, the work that remains to be done.

The global health landscape has shifted remarkably during those years, but Global Health Council (GHC) is no less relevant or essential than it was in the early 1970s. Arguably, it’s more essential than ever.

Why?

  • Because, four years in, we already know that we are not on track to meet the health-related Sustainable Development Goals unless we more fully harness and deploy the collective strengths and assets of governments, civil society, philanthropy and the private sector.
  • Because achieving Universal Health Coverage will require new models that will only be forged through carefully brokered dialogue and collaboration across sectors. And
  • Because we are at risk of losing ground on hard-fought gains in U.S. leadership and funding on global health, which could result in millions of lives at risk or lost.

Over the past seven years since GHC was reestablished, the Board and staff have worked diligently and in partnership to build a solid foundation that will allow GHC to advance solutions to these challenges. Since she arrived as President and Executive Director in December of 2016, Loyce Pace has provided exceptional leadership, which is now well-recognized in the global health community. GHC’s successes in the past year include the following:

  • Convening and shepherding five global health advocacy roundtables and nearly 90 organizational members to elevate global health as a priority among key stakeholders, especially policymakers in Washington, DC;
  • Leading a 96-member delegation to the World Health Assembly in 2019, with representatives from 19 countries, including 25 delegates from low- or middle-income countries;
  • Exceeding membership and fundraising goals for the past two years, turning around an annual budget that had been running in the red and earning a clean audit; and
  • Establishing a President’s Advisory Council with preeminent thought leaders on global health policy and advocacy.

All of this hard work has borne tremendous fruit. Perhaps no better indication of this is that the U.S. Congress has either maintained or increased funding for global health (compared to FY17 levels) across HHS, State, and USAID, and rejected the Administration’s proposal to reduce the overall budget for international development by more than a third.

And yet, this isn’t enough.

If we are to not only shore up and defend against the real threat of erosion of U.S. development assistance for health, but also proactively drive thought leadership and set a new agenda for the global health community, which spans across sectors, and even beyond the confines of the U.S. we must intentionally create, cultivate, and harness a collaborative network of actors in ways we have not yet fully exploited.

There is organization no more well-positioned to embrace this challenge than Global Health Council.

That’s why GHC’s Board of Directors recently came together and committed to developing a bold new strategic plan – we’re calling it “GHC 3.0.” We aim to kick start a purposeful, thoughtful process that will examine new areas for GHC growth, building off its historic strength and comparative advantages, which will ensure the organization can make robust contributions to global health over the next generation.

To that end, we are launching a special campaign among current and former GHC board members, staff and allies to raise the resources needed to undertake this strategic planning exercise over the next six months. We aim to align on a new strategic vision by our early 2019 board meeting, and use it as a tool to cultivate significant new financial resources to shore up the long-term operational health of GHC.

We invite you to be a part of this process.

  • Make a donation. Support strategic planning process as we aim to grow the long-term health of GHC. For ACH, check or wire instructions, please contact membership@globalhealth.org.
  • Get Involved. Work with Loyce and the Board as we chart the course for the future of GHC. Please email ekohlway@globalhealth.org to be part of these important discussions.

Over the coming months, we will keep you updated on our progress, and would welcome your ideas throughout. We look forward to our continued partnership.

Best regards,

Kate Dodson
Chair, Global Health Council

Michele Sumilas
Vice-Chair, Global Health Council