Ambassador Lange Essays - HIVAIDS, Presidency Of George W. Bush

Ambassador Lange Ambassador John Lange: Career in Global Health Diplomacy The simultaneous growth of Ambassador John Langes career as a global health diplomat and global health itself exemplifies the importance of the field as a prioritize matter on the global agenda. The diverse array of professional accomplishments Ambassador Lange achieved throughout his career demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of global health and the many ways to be a strong actor in the field. Ambassador Lange strongly emphasized the heightened need to bring forth international health concerns as detrimental to global prosperity with potential to impact national security and leading to socio-economic crises. Mr. Lange started off his professional career with the intent of practicing law, but quickly found himself immersed in the international affairs realm. During that time, he built his highly esteemed credentials by working in the State Department Bureaus of African Affairs, Western Hemisphere affairs as well as several American embassies located in Togo, France and Mexico. Later on in his career, Ambassador Lange served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and as Chargee Daffaires during which he had to deal with the terrorist bombing of the Embassy and the consequences in the aftermath. It was not until Mr. Lange became U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Botswana that his strong dedication to the field of global health and career as a global health diplomat commenced. As the people of Botswana were experiencing up to thirty eight percent HIV infectious rates, Ambassador Lange felt the imminent need to address this devastating phenomenon not only as a health issue but a security threat as well. This AIDS epidemic was seen as a forthcoming security threat in the sense that it would have destabilizing effects not only mortality rates, but on the capacity and capability of the workforce ultimately fostering a severe socio-economic crisis. In addition to the collaboration between Ambassador Lange and the Botswana governments strong efforts to alleviate the situation, The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations organized the first UN Security Council meeting on the impact of AIDS on peace and security in Africa. This historic event not only reinforced the strong correlation between AIDS, security, and stability but it also elevated the issue on the international agenda. Many other U.S.-based entities such as the Harvard AIDS foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, played a crucial role in helping Botswana deal with this devastating health crisis. Fully invested in the field, Ambassador Lange then took on a position in the State Department where he helped the U.S global AIDS coordinator implement the new PEPFAR office. PEPFAR, a historic commitment to combating a single disease, experienced a few setbacks but ultimately was still acknowledged as a unique opportunity to make an immense difference in an emergency situation. Through PEPFARs efforts, as well as the work of other organizations, the concern regarding security threats in many countries has immensely diminished. Ambassador Lange finished off his career as a Foreign Service Officer by working on the threat of pandemic influenza. During that time, he realized that not only could pandemic influenza have serious consequences on national security and the entire fabric of American society, but that it was an issue that needed to be addressed at the global level requiring the involvement of other governments. Ambassador Lange strongly emphasized that, though international partnerships, certain goals imperatively needed to be achieved. These goals being: the elevation of avian and pandemic influenza on national agendas, the need to coordinate efforts among donors and affected nations, to mobilize and leverage resources globally, increase transparency in disease reporting and surveillance, and lastly to build capacity for the long term. Withholding certain viruses would not only threaten the field of global heath but would also present inconsistencies with the spirit underlying the provisions of inte rnational health values. After his retirement from the Foreign Service Department, Ambassador Lange took on a position working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where he devotes his time engaging in high-level outreach among the International Development community. While working for the Gates Foundation, Ambassador Lange is able to focus on a vertical approach to Global Health which entails intervention strategy, monitoring