There has been remarkable progress in global health over the last five decades, including eradication of smallpox, large scale treatment of AIDS, and dramatic reductions in childhood and maternal deaths. Through its foreign policy and foreign assistance, the U.S has lead in these and other health achievements, which have boosted life expectancy and economic development worldwide. A healthier world has been both a gift to humankind and a benefit to the U.S. But will the U.S. continue to lead in addressing future global health challenges: making the world safer from pandemic threats, achieving universal health coverage, and confronting chronic diseases? Dr. Jonathan Quick, a Senior Fellow at Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, is also international public health expert. He is the author of the forthcoming book, _The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It._ Photo: A U.S. Public Health officer in Monrovia, Liberia in 2014. By Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins.
