Sidebar Renowned Doctor Makes House Call at CARE CARE President and CEO Helene Gayle got early training in helping the less fortunate. The daughter of a social worker and a small businessman, she spent many Sundays as a young girl visiting the sick and incapacitated in her native Buffalo with her father. Initially trained as a doctor, Gayle was influenced by her medical experiences to examine root causes behind health and nutrition problems, an attitude she carried with her into two decades of work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USAID, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, primarily on HIV/AIDS issues. Gayle took over CARE with a mission to refocus the nonprofit, founded after World War II to deliver food aid to countries ravaged by the war — humanitarian work that has since expanded over the years into long-term development activities to fight poverty in more than 60 countries, paying particular attention to women’s issues. Concerned that CARE workers had become too absorbed in local problems and had lost sight of the overarching worldwide causes behind poverty, Gayle has pushed the organization to adopt innovative global solutions such as micro-credit loans. She recently spoke with The Washington Diplomat about the relation between her work in medicine and leading CARE, the ongoing debate over aid to Africa, and CARE’s work with the private sector even in the midst of the global economic crisis. Q: What personally motivated you to go into humanitarian work? In what ways does your background as a doctor influence how you approach your current work? A: My parents instilled in me the belief that a person’s most noble calling was to create positive social change. My commitment to social justice led me to medical school and ultimately, public health. Becoming a doctor seemed like a concrete way to make a contribution to society and address the unequal health status between the haves and have-nots. Health inequities are almost always intertwined with social and economic inequities. The same issues that brought me to medicine and public health in the first place make up the very heart and soul of CARE, whose mission is the eradication of poverty and defending the dignity of the poor and marginalized. I can’t imagine a better way to use what I have learned in my years in public health than to be a part of CARE, and be engaged in the fight to end global poverty. Q: What is your reaction to recent prominent criticism, including from native Africans, that foreign aid to Africa does the continent more harm than good? (Also see “Aiding and Abetting? Economists Say Assistance Only Makes Africa Worse” in the May 2009 issue of The Washington Diplomat.) A: Of course, the long-term strategy for African countries must move beyond aid, but in the short term, in the face of a global economic crisis, it is more important than ever. If used wisely, aid can be an important bridge for these countries as they face declining revenues in global markets. As we move forward, assistance to Africa has to be smarter and used for sustaining better lives for the most vulnerable people. That starts with empowering women and girls — more equality goes hand in hand with higher economic growth. To make a long-term difference, investment is needed now in health systems, and educational and small business opportunities. This must be seen alongside other prerequisites for progress: trade, private investment and improved governance. Q: How is the global economic downturn affecting humanitarian aid? A: Obviously, the downturn is making it harder for some people to give as much to humanitarian causes as they normally do. But we’re seeing roughly the same number of donors here at CARE. I think people recognize that the world’s poorest people are being hit hardest by the global economic crisis. We’re seeing it show up in different ways in the countries where we work. Children are eating less nutritious foods in parts of Bangladesh. With foreign investment down, more parents are pulling their girls out of school in Cambodia. And in Mali, remittances from Europe, America and other African countries are way down, putting stress on a significant source of funds for new health clinics and schools. Certainly President Obama knows this. A couple months ago, he announced plans to provide $448 million in immediate assistance to the world’s poor and double support for agricultural development to more than $1 billion so that we’re giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. He reminded Americans that this isn’t just charity, either — this aid is going to places that can grow into larger parts of the global economy. Q: Do you see the private sector taking a bigger role in humanitarian work, replacing government somewhat? A: The private sector brings a unique comparative advantage in humanitarian work around the world, but no, I don’t think it will ever replace government. The need is great and different stakeholders bring unique strengths and perspectives to development. Our work with the private sector has highlighted innovative approaches to tackling different aspects of poverty and the empowerment of women. For example, CARE is working with UPS to improve our emergency preparedness and response. UPS’s expertise at getting goods into areas affected by natural disasters quickly has been a tremendous help to CARE’s relief efforts in disaster situations. Nonprofits, the corporate sector and governments all have in important role to play in solving global poverty — none of us can do it alone. — Mark Hilpert

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