Earlier this week USAID announced that it is withdrawing its support for
the annual meeting of the Global Health Council, held in Washington DC
every June. The reason for the withdrawal is apparently that the
administration believes that the GHC supports abortion and other
subversive causes. Here is the response to the international health
community from the president of the Global Health Council, Nils Dulaire.
Possible responses to the cancellation are suggested near the end of the
letter.

* * * * * * * * * *

Subject: To our members and supporters: information concerning the Global
Health Council's annual conference

A message from Nils Daulaire, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the Global
Health Council:

Friends:

I am writing to let you know that the Global Health Council's annual
conference will go on as planned, and that we will not curtail the vibrant
exchange of experiences and viewpoints that our conference participants
have come to expect. Global health has many voices, and they are all
welcome to our gathering.

You may have heard that the U.S. government this week decided to withdraw
its financial support from our June conference. More information about
this is available on our website, and our formal statement is at
http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=2567367&u=7738.

The support provided by USAID, CDC and HHS to this conference would have
amounted to about a third of our total conference costs. We will carry on
without it. What matters most is how many of you choose to participate
and engage.

I have gotten many calls from concerned members and supporters asking what
you can do to demonstrate your support for our efforts.

I have four simple answers:

Register now to attend the conference (you can do it online in minutes at
http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=2567367&u=7739).

Mobilize three of your colleagues to become professional members of the
Council at http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=2567367&u=7740 and get them
to register to attend as well.

Encourage your friends and family to join us as concerned citizens to help
promote our mission and assure our independence at
http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=2567367&u=7741.

Spread the word about our mission to support you in bringing better health
to the 2 billion poorest people in the world, and our commitment to keep
our mission above the divisions of partisan and domestic politics.

Through this, you will help to make us stronger and better able to advance
the cause of global health. This is the best response.

The Global Health Council's members work, as I have for much of my career,
in the villages and slums of the developing world. We do not need to be
pampered. We know how to "make do." If we had no resources at all, we
would still hold our annual conference, under a tent if need be, because
we have come to value the vibrant exchange and learning that takes place
at them.

If you haven't already done so, look at our up-to-date conference program
online at http://en.groundspring.org/en/go?j=2567367&u=7742.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at
conference@... or call our conference registrar Tim Way at
802-649-1340 x2134.

I believe this will be our most exciting, stimulating and important
conference yet. I look forward to seeing you there. Our commitment to a
healthy world is as strong as ever.

Sincerely,

Nils Daulaire, M.D., M.P.H.
President and CEO
Global Health Council