by Jimmy Carter
First published 2018
Dr. Bill Foege faces a stark reality in 1984. American children enjoy protection from deadly diseases through successful immunization programs, yet 40,000 children die daily across the globe from preventable illnesses. The former CDC director knows the tools exist to save these lives. He must convince powerful organizations to work together despite their competing interests and territorial instincts. Foege assembles an unlikely alliance that includes Jonas Salk, Robert McNamara, and representatives from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and other major institutions. Together they create the Task Force for Child Survival, a small independent group designed to coordinate global immunization efforts. The task force faces enormous obstacles as it attempts to influence the world's largest health agencies. Over six years, Foege and his team navigate bureaucratic challenges and organizational rivalries to achieve remarkable results. Immunization coverage rises from 15 percent to 80 percent of the world's children. At its heart, this story explores how coalition building can overcome institutional barriers to create meaningful change in global health.
Genres: biography, history, politics, non-fiction, activism
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: coalition-building, institutional-change
Setting: United States
Period: 1984
159 pages · Kindle Edition · Johns Hopkins University Press