NCGHA & RTI Host Discussion on NC Leadership in Global Pandemic Preparedness

The North Carolina Global Health Alliance (NCGHA) and RTI recently welcomed over 60 members of North Carolina’s global health community to RTI to discuss how North Carolina-based institutions are taking the lead on preparing for the next pandemic. This interdisciplinary conversation brought leaders together from the private sector, government, and nonprofit sector to reflect on key lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and to present and discuss what must be done today to prepare for tomorrow’s global pandemic. 

North Carolina’s Role in Global Pandemic Preparedness

The program was an important opportunity for the NCGHA and RTI’s University Collaboration Office and International Development Group to convene around a topic that has broad expertise across the region. This program builds on a shared commitment to enhancing the collective impact of our organizations and those represented among participants. 

The NCGHA organized a panel that provided a range of lenses into pandemic experiences. The panel was moderated by Paul Weisenfeld, executive vice president for international development at RTI, with opening remarks by Tim Gabel, president and CEO at RTI. Gabel emphasized how programs like this are an important part of RTI’s commitment to convening that strengthens the connective tissue of our region and state. 

Panel Highlights: Innovative Approaches to Pandemic Response

We’ve been continuing to reflect on many of the insights shared by the panel, including:

Jimmy Rosen, CEO of READDI, addressed the science behind READDI’s small molecule antiviral research, guided by the belief that everyone should have access to life-saving medicine, no matter where they live. With this in mind, READDI is seeking to develop shelf-stable drugs that are affordable, accessible, and can be taken with a *drink of water*. Jimmy was intentional with his language, noting that not everyone around the world uses a glass to drink water. He also spoke about the global attention and support for READDI’s work, including their work as a core implementation partner in the 100 Days Mission: a three-pronged pandemic preparedness effort launched by the G7 and led by the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat. READDI is a leader of the group’s therapeutics effort, while others lead on surveillance & diagnostics and vaccines.

Lydia Campbell, MD, MPH, FACOEM, vice president and chief medical officer at IBM, literally wrote the book on successful multinational corporate pandemic response! With the observation that “nobody does this alone!”—from right here in North Carolina—Dr. Campbell and her team stood up a diverse, integrated, interdisciplinary team with representatives from across the company to address IBM’s global response. This team came up with five core principles that guided their management systems during this period. These included basing decisions on the best available science, centering the health and safety of their employees, adhering to legal requirements in every country, communicated openly and frequently with their employees, and prioritizing the need to provide critical infrastructure. 

One topic Dr. Campbell addressed that stood out to us was about frontline workers. We often think about health professionals, grocery store staff, EMTs, and so many others as frontline workers. She pointed out that we should also think about tech workers as part of our secondary line of defense, making it possible for our societies to function. Hospitals, banks, grocery stores all require IT! You can learn more about how Dr. Campbell’s team protected and preserved the health, safety, and well-being of employees at one of the world’s largest multinational corporations in The IBM Covid-19 Compendium: A Practical Approach to Effective Pandemic and Crisis Management.

Zack Moore, MD, MPH, state epidemiologist & epidemiology section chief at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health, provided insight into state-level responses, orienting us to North Carolina’s response while also making us think about the role of state and local health departments across the country. He observed that between 2009 and 2020, the US state and local governmental public health workforce lost 40,000 jobs! Because of this, we did not enter the COVID-19 pandemic from a place of strength. While an infusion of short-term federal funding was critical for NC’s COVID-19 response, much of this funding has expired and the remainder will expire by July 2025. This means that support for core public health infrastructure will return to (or potentially fall below) pre-pandemic levels, bringing into question our ability to prevent, detect, and response to the next public health crisis.

Future Directions for Pandemic Preparedness in North Carolina

Each panelist shared experiences that allowed us, as participants, to reflect on our own experiences during the pandemic with various frames in mind, seeing how organizations, states, nations, and international bodies continue to think about pandemic preparedness. 

As Brianna Clarke-Schwelm, executive director of the NCGHA, reminded the room at the end of the program, there are many high-level, global conversations taking place on pandemic preparedness—and there’s a need to continue to local conversations that bring together so many capabilities in our region. If we invest, collaborate, and continue to elevate this topic now, before we face another global health threat like what we faced in 2020, North Carolina will be well positioned to be a leader in pandemic preparedness for the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians and people worldwide. 

We’re already planning for a meaningful follow-up program to continue this important discussion. By bringing together North Carolina’s global health and public health communities, we can learn from one another, identify opportunities for collaboration, and ultimately, strengthen this state’s tremendous capabilities for the benefit of people here and everywhere.

The North Carolina Global Health Alliance is dedicated to advancing North Carolina as a center of global health. The Alliance fosters collaboration and innovation in our state and region by acting as a connector and advocate on behalf of our global health community. It was founded in 2009 as the Triangle Global Health Consortium, by partners at RTI International, FHI 360, IntraHealth International, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina State University.