Global Health Lost a Hero Today

by Alanna Shaikh · 2009-08-26 13:59:00 UTC
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(photo credit: Muffet)

Most of you probably know already that Ted Kennedy passed away today. You probably know that he was called "The lion of the senate," a powerful voice for progressive causes even when the US drifted further and further to the right. What you may not know is that he was a passionate champion of global health.

My very first job in global health was with the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. We advocated for better US policy on the use of antibiotics, and on global precautions to preserve the power of antibiotics. When we despaired of getting congressional support for our cause, we always had one hope: Ted Kennedy would listen to us. Everyone knew that he would always stand up for health, whether health for Americans or health for the world.

Senator Kennedy spent his senate career fighting for better health. 1978, he became a champion of the Alma-Ata declaration, which called for health care for all. He was a powerful supporter of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  Last December, Physicians for Human Rights presented Senator Kennedy with their Award for Outstanding Leadership on the Right to Health. In July, Foundation for AIDS Research gave him their courage award. Those are just the highlights of a career devoted to supporting human rights, human health, and human dignity.

It's easy to look at other people's achievements and feel lessened by them, to assume that they are somehow special and we're not. But that's not true.  That's what we can learn from Senator Kennedy. He was an ordinary man made great by his passion for justice and the courage of his convictions.

We cannot all run for senator. We can't all be born with the advantages of a Kennedy. But every one of us can find what matters and spend our lives defending it.

Alanna Shaikh
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