Quam to lead U.S. State Department’s Global Health Initiative
Lois Quam, a former executive with UnitedHealth Group and senior adviser to former First Lady Hillary Clinton's health care task force, has been appointed to lead the President's Global Health Initiative. State Department Spokesman Phillippe Reines confirmed the hire to MPR News this morning. he said more details of the announcement will be released later today.
The hire means Quam will oversee billions of dollars in federal funds that are geared to improve "health outcomes through strengthened health systems - with a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children through programs including infectious disease, nutrition, maternal and child health, and safe water."
The funds are aimed to reduce HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other preventable diseases across the world.
Quam and her husband, former DFL state Rep. Matt Entenza, have been close with former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for some time. Quam worked with Clinton in the early nineties and the two have been long time backers of the political campaigns of both Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Here's more information from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the Global Health Initiative and how she sees the mission of the agency:
The President's new global health initiative will be a crucial component of American foreign policy and a signature element of smart power. Bringing better health to people around the globe is an avenue to a more secure, stable, and prosperous world. Our investments in programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and other preventable diseases save millions of lives, reduce maternal and child mortality, and reflect our nation's leadership as a positive force for progress around the world.
With the President's new initiative and expanded focus, we have an opportunity to further leverage our technical knowledge and expertise, build stronger regional and global partnerships, and use our resources to expand the promise of good health that is the foundation of stronger and more stable families, communities, and societies.
I look forward to working with agencies across the government, with Congress, and with the private and non-governmental sectors to lead a coordinated and effective approach to global health that leaves a safer and more stable world for generations to come.
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