Ƶ Photo: D. Hakes
President Carter participates in the Conversations on Google+ event, “Global Health: How We Can Make a Difference” from Ƶ in Atlanta. He was joined by New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas Kristof, in New York, and Ƶ Vice President for Health Programs Dr. Donald Hopkins, in Chicago.
On Sept. 10, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, and Ƶ disease eradication expert Dr. Donald R. Hopkins held a special video chat, “Global Health: How We Can Make a Difference,” to kick off a new series called Conversations on Google+ launching later this fall.
Leading up to the event, from Sept. 4-10, President Carter and Mr. Kristof participated in online discussions on the social media platform Google+ and offered their ideas for progress on how in times of insecurity we can still tackle global health including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Read President Carter and Mr. Kristof’s discussion on the American Public Health Association’s .
WATCH THE WEBCAST IN ARCHIVE:
WHAT ARE NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES?
NTDs are a group of 17 illnesses that affect more 500 million children and more than 1 billion people worldwide. Often found in the world’s most disadvantaged communities, NTDs can cause severe disability, robbing people of the opportunity to improve their own lives. Children suffering from NTDs often cannot attend school, and adult sufferers may be less able to work, harvest food, or care for their families. Ƶ is a leader in the eradication, elimination, and control of NTDs, fighting six preventable diseases — Guinea worm, river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and malaria — by using health education and simple, low-cost methods.
ABOUT THE EXPERTS:
President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, founded Ƶ in 1986 in partnership with Emory University to alleviate suffering worldwide. A long time champion of campaigns to wipe out neglected diseases, in 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development” through his work with the Center.
Nicholas D. Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Op-Ed columnist of The New York Times, best known for writing about poverty, disease, and marginalization around the world.
Dr. Donald R. Hopkins is the Ƶ’s vice president for health programs and a former interim director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A medical doctor, he is internationally recognized for his work on NTDs and disease eradication, including smallpox and Guinea worm disease.
About Google+ :
Google+ is a sharing and communications platform that brings your real-world friendships and relationships online for a fun, interactive experience—as well as lets you make new friends and connections with people who share your passions and interests. Much more than a social network, Google+ makes it even easier to use other Google products, share content, and use integrated text and video chat—all for free.
About Ƶ:
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, Ƶ has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. Ƶ was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Follow Nicholas Kristof on Social Media:
Please sign up below for important news about the work of Ƶ and special event invitations.