YIGH Global Health Conversation Series

The Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) launched its “Global Health Conversation Series” in 2020 with Former Secretary of State John Kerry and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as its first speakers. The YIGH series is a moderated forum for the Yale community and alumni to listen to and learn from some of today’s pivotal decision-makers in the world of global health and the COVID-19 pandemic. The events will also be open to the public.

Representing diverse areas of expertise, speakers will address the latest in research, public policy, cutting edge programs, and more. Students, faculty and others interested in global health will be able to ask questions of experts who have dedicated their careers to the health and well-being of people around the globe. Cosponsored by The George Herbert Walker, Jr. Lecture in International Studies at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, the series is also is an opportunity to cultivate potential areas of collaboration with leading institutions in global health.

“We created the Conversation Series to bring experts who are leading the charge against the most salient global health issues of our time to the Yale community,” says Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health. “We are pleased to host these influential experts who will have a major impact on health for generations to come.”

Recent Speakers

Dr. William Foege

“Get the science right. Add art and a moral compass to the science. Now you've got moral, creative, and common-sense solutions."

Drs. Jeff Koplan, Julie Gerberding, Tom Frieden

"What we see on the outside does not reflect what's going on in the public health systems."

David Miliband

"Conflict, climate and covid are current drivers of displacement and humanitarian need."

Dr. Angeli Achrekar

"We haven't finished the HIV fight, but we want to utilize the capacity that exists and be responsive to other global challenges including COVID-19."

United States Senator Chris Murphy

“We have to make a big commitment to global health in this congress and work to build a permanent capacity inside the medial supply chain.  To do this, we need to work together with our allies around the world and produce the most important supplies necessary to meet demands within the U.S. for any future pandemics.” 

Past Events

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

“This pandemic has thrived amid the inequalities in our societies and exploited the gaps in our health systems and exacerbated the disparities between and within countries. There are grave consequences for livelihoods and the economy if we do not start working together across countries.”

Peter Salovey, Elizabeth Bradley, Firoz Rasul

"An important and unexpected result of the pandemic showed us we must take a different approach to make our environment more accessible. We need to think more we versus me."

Achim Steiner

"Evidence now shows that environmental impacts are clearly linked to the whole human population’s wellbeing.”

Bernice Dahn, M.D.

“We need resilient systems that can pivot to meet urgent short term needs in crisis, but remain strong enough to withstand the larger stressors occurring within the environment.”

Henrietta Fore

"As a result of COVID-19 UNICEF must focus on mental health, clean water, distance learning, and immunization to keep families healthy and together."

Anthony Fauci, M.D.

“We are living an incredibly historical experience right now. There are going to be important lessons learned on what we did wrong and what we did right,” said Anthony Fauci during his talk at YIGH Conversation Series.

Foreign Policy, Politics, and Global Health

A Conversation with John Kerry

Forum on Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus

A collaboration between the Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale School of Public Health and the Global Health Justice Partnership