Gates' Gift To Aid World Health

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 28, 2002

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

M.A.J. McKenna - Staff

Thursday, June 27, 2002

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/news_d3a13c09175c01260051.html

Metro Atlanta's substantial involvement in international public health will increase thanks to a $5 million gift to Emory University from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The charity, which has given millions of dollars to health projects in the developing world, announced Wednesday that it is endowing four William H. Foege Fellowships in Global Health at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health.

The fellowships are named for Dr. William Foege, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who is now senior medical adviser to the foundation.

Foege is a professor at Emory whose career touched most of the global public health enterprises clustered in Atlanta: He helped found the Carter Center and the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, served on the board of CARE USA and was a chief strategist in the global campaign to eradicate smallpox, which was led by the CDC.

"Bill Foege has been a tremendously inspirational leader to all of us in public health in Atlanta and throughout the world," said Dr. James Curran, dean of the Rollins School. "One of the things he has reminded us of is the importance of establishing partnerships with the developing world, which these fellowships will accomplish."

The fellowships, to begin in fall 2003, will bring four midcareer public health professionals from the developing world to Emory for one to two years of study. During their stay, the fellows will be expected to establish ongoing projects with an Atlanta-based international health agency that can be continued once the fellows return home.