Joanne Liu Quotes

Over the years, I have worked on programs in Africa and around the globe to combat malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. I have been witness to incredible progress in these fights.

I want us to be judged by the impact we have on the health of the people of Africa and the health of women. Improvements in the health of the people of Africa and the health of women are key indicators of the performance of WHO. This is a health organization for the whole world... But we must focus our attention on the people in greatest need.

If any country was a mine-shaft canary for the reintroduction of cholera, it was Haiti - and we knew it. And in retrospect, more should have been done to prepare for cholera... which can spread like wildfire in Haiti... This was a big rebuke to all of us working in public health and health care in Haiti.

When anyone dies from a preventable disease in New York City, it’s my fault.

We do prioritize addressing MDR-TB. We have done that for more than 20 years; that's why we've been able to drastically reduce U.S. cases of MDR-TB.

The fight against Ebola cannot undermine the fight against poverty.

I started to write about science and medicine at the 'Washington Post,' in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

Ninety percent of the cases of polio are in security-vulnerable areas.

The World Health Organization did a world health report in 2006. In the whole world about 60 countries are in dire situation in terms of having enough doctors. And many of these countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa. You know, that part of the world alone needs one million doctors.

A more effective international disease surveillance system is essential for global security both against a bioterrorist attack or a naturally occurring disease.

The Center for Disease Control started out as the malaria war control board based in Atlanta. Partly because the head of Coke had some people out to his plantation, and they got infected with malaria, and partly 'cause all the military recruits were coming down and having a higher fatality rate from malaria while training than in the field.

My fear is that if we don't take remedial steps to control polio in the tribal areas, we will be faced with international sanctions.

It is now widely recognized that any attempt at malaria eradication must be a long-term commitment that involves multiple interventions, disciplines, strategies and organizations.

We have seen SARS stopped dead in its tracks.

We need to think of chronic disease, hypertension, cancer, like H1N1. In fact, there's an epidemic of chronic disease.

I believe we have to nip Ebola in the bud before it spreads through Africa and to other countries.

The biggest public health challenge is rebuilding health systems. In other words, if you look at cholera or maternal mortality or tuberculosis in Haiti, they're major problems in Haiti, but the biggest problem is rebuilding systems.

The objective of the World Health Organization shall be "the attainment by all peoples of highest possible level of health.

Unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of disease, especially communicable disease, is a common danger.

The Ebola epidemic is the worst health emergency there has been in modern times.

We can't predict when infectios diseases will break out, but their breakout is inevitable. That is why we must be prepared.

See, Ebola, like all threats to humanity, it's fueled by mistrust and distraction and division. When we build barriers amongst ourselves, and we fight amongst ourselves, the virus thrives. But unlike all threats to humanity, Ebola is one where we're actually all the same. We're all in this fight together.

The world has been very careful to pick very few diseases for eradication, because it is very tough.

Our progress against malaria is impressive. But vigilance remains a critical ingredient to protect the health of all people.

I contracted malaria while working in the field. That was the impetus for me to pursue a doctorate in community health. As a young academic, I investigated the patterns of malaria's spread and the potential measures we could employ to control it.