Impact to North Carolina is Measured, Sizeable
North Carolina’s global health sector contributes $2 billion to the state’s economy each year, according to a report released Monday by the Duke Global Health Institute.
The study found that at least 7,000 jobs and $508 million in salaries and wages annually can be attributed to North Carolina’s global health sector. The report, “Why Global Health Matters to North Carolina” was co-authored by a team of Duke University Department of Economics and Duke Global Health Institute researchers. The strongest contributor to global health is North Carolina’s nonprofit sector, with more than $1 billion in total business activity. Other notable contributors include the state’s pharmaceutical, research and academic sectors, including University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke.
“These results demonstrate the prominence – and promise – of global health in North Carolina, and provides further evidence that North Carolina is a leader in the field,” said DGHI Director Dr. Michael Merson.
Authors of the report emphasize that the total economic impact found in this study is likely underestimated due to the highly conservative approach used in making the estimates, lack of some data sources, and the significant growth that has occurred in global health across the state since 2007.
To put this study’s findings into perspective, the economic impact of the textile industry in North Carolina is estimated to be $2.6 billion annually. Like tobacco, textile manufacturing used to be one of the largest industries in North Carolina. However, textiles have steadily declined over the past 20 years, and are now being replaced by new sectors like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and global health that are filling this economic void. Merson adds that North Carolina’s advantage is one that many states do not have.
READ the executive summary and the entire economic impact report.
Global Health Comes Together in the Triangle
More than 150 business, government and health leaders came together Monday for a statewide forum focused on making North Carolina, and specifically Research Triangle Park, a center of excellence in global health. The forum was hosted by CSIS Global Health Policy Center and the newly-formed Triangle Global Health Consortium.
Featured panelist Navy Admiral William Fallon, co-chair of the Commission on Smart Global Health Policy which is directed by the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, highlighted existing partnerships between UNC and Duke that serve as models for future collaboration. Through a project called Carolina for Kibera, the two universities are working together in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, of which Fallon said “this unlikely partnership has been so successful that it has attracted the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and other leading global health agencies.” Fallon said building partnerships like this is critical to both identify gaps in health and develop an action plan to close those gaps.
Fallon continued that his many years on the ground with the U.S. military made him appreciate “health as the heart of national security.” He said infectious diseases like the current flu epidemic are reminders that global health doesn’t have boundaries. In broader terms, Fallon emphasized that health, nutrition, water, roads, and transportation are inter-related, and they all need to be invested in significantly.
The Commission on Smart Global Health Policy, which Fallon co-chairs with Helene Gayle of CARE, is developing a set of recommendations for a long-term U.S. strategy in global health. Meanwhile, the Obama administration laid out a framework in May to invest $63 billion over six years in global health, which many see as a strong boost to further global health efforts.
"Health systems breed collaboration and the leadership in Washington, DC is putting greater emphasis on health systems and partnerships,” said Duke’s Merson. “It’s a great time to be involved in global health.”
WATCH video from this historic event.
Triangle Global Health Consortium Launched
Monday’s statewide forum also served as the formal launch of the Triangle Global Health Consortium. The Consortium’s seven founding members include Family Health International, IntraHealth International, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, RTI International and Duke University.
“The goal of the new consortium is to make the Triangle area the place to be for global health,” said Merson.
It aims to define innovative solutions to improve the health of underserved populations through collaborative research and joint service projects. For IntraHealth International’s Pape Gaye, that means changing the way they do business. Gaye stressed the need for new partnerships that focus on strengthening health systems and capacity building.
“It’s almost immoral if we don’t work to strengthen the health systems in countries that we are working in,” said Gaye, President of IntraHealth. “If our goal is human dignity, productivity, and helping people reach their full potential in a global economy, we need to change the way we work and the way we partner.”
Gaye said it is unacceptable for the group to work on a disease-focused program in some area of the world, and then leave when the program is completed or resources run out. He said the consortium must be careful not to confuse global health with global disease.
The development of a new strategy will be necessary as global health leaders continue to see a rise in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in poorer countries. Family Health International’s Peter Lamptey said there are more deaths from cardiovascular disease in developing countries than from HIV, TB and Malaria combined. Lamptey, who is originally from Ghana, said more attention must be placed on chronic diseases and maternal and child health.
Global health leaders recognize that tackling these challenges in a new way requires building upon the strengths that already exist within each organization. The forum highlighted the progress made by each founding member of the consortium in terms of new knowledge, skills and global partnerships. For example, Family Health International, which is based at Research Triangle Park, reported providing treatment to 270,000 people around the world. At Duke, DGHI has developed a total of 16 interdisciplinary initiatives in under three years that aim to train the next generation of global health leaders and improve the lives of others around the world.
Consortium members also briefed U.S. Congressman David Price on the efforts in the Triangle to address global health concerns. Congressman Price reiterated his support for global health and international aid, and pledged to continue to serve as an advocate for global health in Washington, DC.
LEARN MORE about the Triangle Global Health Consortium, and SIGN UP to become a member of the online global health community.
