Public-private partnerships can help advance global health goals

May 3 2013

"Three people die every minute from tuberculosis [TB] -- a treatable and largely preventable disease. Resistant forms continue to thrive, and increased travel makes the global threat very real. We face a public health emergency," Vince Forlenza, chair, CEO, and president of the medical technology firm Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), writes in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network. "Without adequate financing, ministries of health and even private hospitals in developing countries often don't have the resources needed to purchase diagnostic equipment, train workers, and ensure access to appropriate treatment," he notes, and asks, "What can the health care industry do to help fight disease, while still maintaining its commitments to shareholders?" Forlenza discusses some of the public-private partnerships of BD and outlines several lessons learned from the programs, which he says he "hope[s] will serve us and others as we continue to try to transform health care systems in Africa, India, and beyond." He concludes, "Today's health care marketplace calls for global problem solvers, not just products, and that is something we should all strive for -- together" (5/1).