Home > News > Publications > Global Health Matters

Global Health Matters

November - December, 2007  |  Volume 6, Issue 6

NIH Hosts Global Health Ministers for Security Discussions

The NIH campus was the site of the recent Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) meeting, where ministers and senior staff engaged in a series of discussions on how to best address biological, chemical, radio-nuclear terrorism, pandemic influenza threats, and other public health emergencies, as well as food and product safety concerns.

HHS Secretary Leavitt (standing) moderates at press
conference concluding the Global Health Security
Initiative meeting on the NIH campus.

The GHSI members are the Ministers of Health from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K.; the Secretaries of Health from Japan, Mexico and the U.S.; the Health Commissioner of the European Union; and the Director-General of the World Health Organization. The GHSI originated following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax attacks, when the U.S. Government called for the establishment of a regular, formal opportunity for the health ministers of the major industrialized nations and its immediate neighbors to meet and exchange ideas.

On the final day of the meeting, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff hosted a breakfast for the ministers at Fogarty's Stone House. The gathering ended with a communique and news conference, during which Secretary Leavitt touted the GHSI gathering as an essential cooperative effort among allies: "It shows the importance of renewing our commitment...and continuing to provide a very important forum for preparedness."

Receptions for the delegations were hosted by NIH Director, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, at the Stone House, and an event co-hosted by Fogarty Director, Dr. Roger I. Glass, and National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Deputy Director, Betsy L. Humphreys, held at the NLM.

This was the 8th ministerial meeting of the group and the first to be held in the U.S. and hosted by the HHS Secretary. Past meetings have been held in Tokyo, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, London and Ottawa.

The video cast of the press conference is available at: http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?live=6109