Tommy Thompson Talks “Medical Diplomacy” with NH ONE Members

Jun 26th, 2007 1:00 PM EST
By matthew.bartlett


Last night, Gov. Tommy Thompson came to Hanover, New Hampshire, to address a group of Republican voters and let them know why he wants to be the next president of the United States.

Many ONE members best know Gov. Tommy Thompson as President Bush’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, and are very familiar with his work as the first head of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

I was standing with a few members of the Dartmouth College Republicans, many wearing ONE bands themselves, when Gov. Thompson came over and saw my ONE pin. Before I could say anything, Gov. Thompson asked me if I had a ONE band for him. I laughed and gave him one that he immediately put on.

During his stump speech, Gov. Thompson talked about his work with the Bush administration and how he was the first Sec. of HHS to travel outside of the country to places in Africa and in Afghanistan. Gov. Thompson shared a story about going to an impoverished area in Afghanistan where there was a hospital with no running water or electricity. He then came home and talked with “Powell, Condi and Rumsfeld” and got money to build a hospital that was able to treat people, especially expecting mothers, in a clean, safe, and humane way. He described to the room, the first day that hospital opened and how the people of the area loved America, and loved what the American people had helped provide for them.

Gov. Thompson then spoke about how he would like to outfit two giant cruise liners with 1,000 medical beds a piece. He would help enlist the best young and idealists American doctors to travel on these boats around the globe stopping in at impoverished ports in places like Ethiopia and Somalia to help treat the sick and poor. He described the American flag waving in the wind as these boats would dock, and told the crowd how it would help those in need and show the world exactly the type of great nation that the United States is. He called his plan, “Medical Diplomacy,” and stressed the need for America to continue to take a leading role in efforts like basic education and basic survival healthcare in the developing world.

After the event I was able to talk with Gov. Thompson and thank him for his past efforts, and for remembering the world’s poorest people in his own campaign for president. He thanked me, and the ONE Campaign, and told me that he also has an entire plan to fight global malaria that he wants to talk about.

Last night was just another example of the growing movement of Americans that realize we can change the world and save lives in the developing world - you don’t have to belong to a certain political party to do so, you just have to care.

TAGS: The ONE Blog

 

  1. Stevensays: Jun 27th, 2007 5:51 PM EST

    June 27, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    Richard Feachman was the first (and only April 07 only) head of th Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. We need to speak with candidates and show respect, but at the same time we have to be firm and check our facts. It would be misleading to say Thompson was the head of the Global Fund and may bias the perceptions of ONE Voters.

    Medical diplomacy is a great idea, it was actually used to an extent after the Tsunamis in late 2004, but then was discontinued unfortunately.

  2. Matthewsays: Jun 27th, 2007 8:20 PM EST

    June 27, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Sec. Thompson was elected Chairman of the Board of the Global Fund on Jan. 31, 2003. He had been the first US delegate to the Global Fund since it started in 2002.

    I did not mean to be misleading with respect to Gov. Thompson’s work with the Fund, or offend the work of the Fund itself, and apologize if there was confusion.

    Medical diplomacy can also be seen as the US response to the earthquake in Pakistan, PEPFAR, and our continued support for the Global Fund.

  3. cfpikuvchesays: Jul 6th, 2007 8:18 AM EST

    July 6, 2007 at 8:18 am

    Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! hpzvqrksql

  4. ogssnksptksays: Jul 8th, 2007 7:33 PM EST
  5. vozmampocvsays: Jul 8th, 2007 8:38 PM EST
  6. lgpjxtadsasays: Jul 8th, 2007 9:38 PM EST
  7. cqnfbqxfzosays: Jul 8th, 2007 11:47 PM EST
  8. ixnxguoknwsays: Jul 9th, 2007 3:30 AM EST
  9. fkisodydxfsays: Jul 9th, 2007 4:04 AM EST
  10. lkskfovcyhsays: Jul 9th, 2007 4:32 AM EST
  11. oljrndgdansays: Jul 9th, 2007 5:03 AM EST
  12. tergbzxjmcsays: Jul 9th, 2007 5:30 AM EST
  13. lxzloarlfbsays: Jul 9th, 2007 7:28 AM EST
  14. ascgllvjxwsays: Jul 9th, 2007 7:48 AM EST
  15. xfnyifnseisays: Jul 9th, 2007 8:13 AM EST
  16. kacpduzaxysays: Jul 9th, 2007 8:33 AM EST
  17. klrdigrunhsays: Jul 9th, 2007 9:53 AM EST
  18. hriqkglscmsays: Jul 9th, 2007 3:19 PM EST
  19. ipzmlltvsdsays: Jul 9th, 2007 5:00 PM EST
  20. xvzhlxetlvsays: Jul 10th, 2007 9:33 AM EST
  21. ylhptwmsogsays: Jul 10th, 2007 10:57 AM EST
  22. hmylcjiykwsays: Jul 10th, 2007 12:52 PM EST
  23. kpwefdswrksays: Jul 11th, 2007 2:08 AM EST
  24. aapesfsxnssays: Jul 12th, 2007 2:15 AM EST
  25. vkymmswcvksays: Jul 12th, 2007 3:37 AM EST
  26. tzzjvhfyhvsays: Jul 12th, 2007 5:55 AM EST
  27. znbjhziewxsays: Jul 12th, 2007 7:04 AM EST
  28. jkhzpirbgqsays: Jul 12th, 2007 2:34 PM EST
  29. tewhmloafjsays: Jul 12th, 2007 3:47 PM EST
  30. lzmhcbcnznsays: Jul 12th, 2007 6:14 PM EST
  31. dqlubqszvjsays: Jul 12th, 2007 7:33 PM EST
  32. itrmoqwivnsays: Jul 12th, 2007 10:02 PM EST
  33. zckqdmzizmsays: Jul 13th, 2007 12:20 AM EST
  34. wbvljnidvosays: Jul 13th, 2007 2:56 AM EST
  35. gcnqhssfwnsays: Jul 13th, 2007 3:13 AM EST
  36. fkcejfqtlosays: Jul 13th, 2007 5:18 AM EST
  37. utehggqvdrsays: Jul 13th, 2007 7:06 AM EST
  38. tzotyokdbjsays: Jul 13th, 2007 8:40 AM EST
  39. wsdiwuytypsays: Jul 13th, 2007 9:52 AM EST
  40. rmysmvnovasays: Jul 13th, 2007 11:12 AM EST
  41. lgneevrokesays: Jul 13th, 2007 1:03 PM EST
  42. yvsijvltbxsays: Jul 13th, 2007 2:41 PM EST
  43. slzurbismmsays: Jul 13th, 2007 5:01 PM EST
  44. negdedbdmrsays: Jul 13th, 2007 6:53 PM EST
  45. tclvnuhegpsays: Jul 13th, 2007 8:51 PM EST
  46. wqiuybittzsays: Jul 13th, 2007 11:02 PM EST
  47. necpacrcarsays: Jul 13th, 2007 11:52 PM EST
  48. bsxpnyefjbsays: Jul 16th, 2007 4:30 AM EST
  49. cixfriavtesays: Jul 16th, 2007 4:42 PM EST
  50. zakzwoumuasays: Jul 17th, 2007 5:50 AM EST
  51. saibplnsyksays: Jul 18th, 2007 2:32 AM EST
  52. pvxmqdrncysays: Jul 18th, 2007 4:04 AM EST

Leave a Comment

 

Name (required)

 

Mail (will not be published) (required)

 

Website

 

Email me when someone else comments on this post.

One Blog

Popular Posts This Month

About the Blog

The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.

The ONE Blog updates readers daily with the latest in global development news and analysis and what ONE members and our partners are doing around the world to influence world leaders in the fight against global poverty.

The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.