Washington, DC - Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Special Envoy and Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs and the U.S. Representative to the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, will join 18 current and emerging foreign leaders on a visit to Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Seattle to focus on the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

Launched by President Obama in 2014, the GHSA is a partnership of over 50 nations, working with international organizations, and non-governmental stakeholders, which pursues a multi-sectoral approach to strengthening global and state capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats. From January 31 – February 10, leaders who are participants in the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) will meet with Federal and non-governmental representatives engaged in Global Health Security Agenda work. The GHSA IVLP promotes the Next Generation of individuals engaged in GHSA. The professional exchange will also foster an understanding of the function of the GHSA, provide a background on the role of the different US actors engaged in GHSA activities, and cultivate a cohort of participants to serve as GHSA ambassadors to their respective countries.

Professionals from Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Peru, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey will meet with the Department of State, Health and Human Services, the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, USAID, the National Institute of Health, the Center for Disease Control, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Affairs Council.