Private actors, global health and learning the lessons of history

Abstract

Private business and philanthropic organizations have played a prominent role in the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the support of global health governance more broadly. While this involvement may appear to be novel or unprecedented, this article argues that this active role for private actors and philanthropies actually mirrors the historical experience of cross-border health governance in the first half of the twentieth century. By examining the experiences, roles and criticisms of the Rockefeller Foundation’s International Health Division and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it is possible to identify potential opportunities for better cooperation between public and private actors in global health governance.

Keywords:

• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Rockefeller Foundation
• global health governance
• private actors
• philanthropic organizations

Notes

1. There are technically two separate organizations, both of which are tax-exempt private foundations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a programmatic focus. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust manages the investment of the donations from Bill and Melinda Gates and from Warren Buffet. The Trust transfers the proceeds from its investments to the Foundation as needed for it to carry out its programmatic goals.