As the world becomes increasingly connected, the goal to ensure that communities around the globe have access to better health becomes more urgent – and more achievable.
To address this need, a consortium of leading Bay Area nonprofits, companies and universities announced today the formation of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance. The announcement was made during Prescription for Progress: The essential role of partnerships in strengthening health systems, an event hosted by Devex for 150 global health leaders.
The Bay Area Global Health Alliance (the Alliance) will bring together organizations across sectors, to take on major global health challenges in new ways that harness the region’s culture of innovation, research, discovery and delivery. The Alliance will serve as a focal point to convene and facilitate connections, bringing member organizations together in new ways around large-scale projects and partnerships.
“The Bay Area is a hub for innovation in technology and science. The unique mix of biomedical startups, tech giants, nonprofits, academic researchers, private foundations and venture capitalists can serve as a powerful catalyst to advance innovations in healthcare both locally and internationally,” said Gregg Alton, chief patient officer, Gilead Sciences. “Gilead is pleased to support the formation of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance to better connect the capabilities of this region to help address some of the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges.”
The formation of the Alliance is a result of planning and research by a multi-sectoral team, informed by research conducted by Global Impact Advisors and input from more than 75 organizations. The Alliance expects to initiate a targeted set of collaborative programs starting in 2019 following solidification of its leadership team, providing a platform for partner organizations to leverage each other’s strengths to take on critical challenges in global health.
“We are proud to be an inaugural partner in the formation of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance,” said Dr. Huma Abbasi, Chevron’s general manager of Global Health and Medical. “Our success as a business is tied to the health and prosperity of the countries where we operate, and we are committed to the Alliance’s aspirations to accelerate progress in global health.”
The Bay Area Global Health Alliance builds on similar alliances in Washington State, Georgia, North Carolina and Melbourne, Australia, which serve as hubs for catalyzing global health investments in their regions. “These alliances serve an essential role in not only improving health in their regions but globally,” said Steve Davis, president & CEO of PATH. “Collaborations that bring together the strengths of the public, private and social sectors help ensure that the best information and technologies are put to work in the pursuit of a healthier world.”
“We have been overwhelmed by interest in the Alliance, and are in the process of developing a Leadership Council and putting an organizational structure in place,” said Michele Barry, senior associate dean for global health and director, Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health. Global health leadership from Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis and UCSF collaborated to initiate the formation of the Alliance. “We are excited to come together as a community to identify, network and leverage our collective strengths to accelerate and scale advances in global health.”
Generous support for the Alliance has been provided by Chevron, Gilead Sciences, Global Impact Advisors, PATH, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, UC Davis Health, UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences and Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health.
For additional information about the Bay Area Global Health Alliance or to become involved, please visit: www.bayareaglobalhealth.com.