Newsroom
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — As the production of COVID-19 vaccines continues to increase and domestic supply begins to fully meet or exceed demand, the question of what role the U.S. will have in COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy is becoming increasingly pressing. Providing vaccines, is only the first step in a successful international vaccine roll-out. Achieving global immunization will require strategic coordination with local health systems around the world.
Richard Reithinger, Ph.D., vice president of global health at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, is available for media interviews to discuss global vaccine distribution strategies and the importance of working hand in hand with local governments to ensure they have the policies, systems and health workforce in place to deliver vaccines. He can also provide insight on the ripple effect COVID-19 has had on other diseases worldwide and how health systems in lower- and middle-income countries are operating amidst the pandemic.
Dr. Reithinger is an infectious disease expert with extensive field-based experience managing global infectious disease programs and developing standards-based policies and strategies that rely on working collaboratively and effectively with global health stakeholders. He has experience managing and implementing programs focused on malaria, neglected tropical diseases, as well as zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19, avian influenza, and Ebola, and can speak to the transfer of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 from animals to humans.
Prior to his position at RTI, Dr. Reithinger worked for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Team Leader and Malaria Advisor in Ethiopia. He has been published widely on the topics of infectious disease prevention, control and surveillance.
To set up an interview with Dr. Reithinger please contact news@rti.org
