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• February 3, 2005: Headlines: Congress: Global Health Corps: ADN: Senator Bill Frist used the opportunity to promote the idea of a Global Health Corps, modeled on the Peace Corps, which would use American volunteers to assist in overseas medical projects  Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 5:25 pm [1]

Senator Bill Frist proposes Global Health Corps proposed after tsunami disaster



Senator Bill Frist proposes Global Health Corps proposed after tsunami disaster

Global Health Corps proposed after tsunami disaster:

[World News]: Washington, Feb 8 : A US senator who has just returned from tsunami-hit Asia met several Indian American physicians to discuss proposals that include the establishment of a Global Health Corps by the US.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist met with the physicians in Florida at an informal brunch, said Vijayendra Vijayanagar, chair of the Indian American Republican Council and a cardiologist in Fort Lauderdale.

"I've visited destroyed towns in Sudan and Afghanistan and seen deep, grinding poverty in Uganda and Kenya. The challenges the world's aid-giving nations face in South Asia will prove just as difficult to overcome as those I witnessed in these troubled places," said Frist (a Republican from Tennessee) testifying at the Commerce Committee's hearing on tsunami relief efforts.

Frist was in Sri Lanka last month where in a helicopter flight over the island, he said he witnessed "a scene of unending devastation".

A doctor by profession, Frist noted that the major issue after the tsunami was health and that despite the massive influx of aid, many people still lacked medicines and clean water.

He put forward three interrelated proposals to tackle this - making clean water a major priority in US development programmes; making medical assistance a vital tool of public diplomacy by establishing the "Global Health Corps" like the Peace Corps; and leveraging private dollars to develop water infrastructure around the world.

He wants the Global Health Corps to have a much broader mission as a "vital component" of public diplomacy in US foreign policy efforts.

"Corps members would serve as shinning examples of the American peoples' charity and goodwill. Its members would serve for the good of humanity and, in so doing, these doctors, nurses, technicians and scientists would become ambassadors of peace."


Indo-Asian News Service

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 27,000 index entries in 430 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

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February 5, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peace Corps swears in 12 new Country Directors 4 Feb Kenneth Hawkinson studies oral traditions of Mali 4 Feb Tony Hall urges politicians to bring religious faith to office 4 Feb Dodd opposes Gonzales nomination 3 Feb Dr. Robert Zeigler to head Rice Research Institute 3 Feb Taylor Hackford going into television with "E-Ring" 2 Feb President Bush's past promises in State of the Union 1 Feb Moreigh Wolf says gays cannot volunteer with partners 1 Feb Coleman to chair Peace Corps Subcommittee 1 Feb Vasquez assesses need in Southeast Asia 31 Jan James Bullington says Bush Inaugural speaks to PC 31 Jan Allen Andersson creates foundation to promote libraries 31 Jan Joseph Opala to film "Priscilla's Homecoming" 31 Jan Donna Shalala embarks on aggressive UM expansion 31 Jan Thomas Dichter says Poor Countries Need Smarter Aid 30 Jan Alberto Ibargüen to head Knight Foundation 28 Jan Helen Sheehy organizes "Endangered Peoples" exhibit 28 Jan

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Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

By Ella Lacey (dialup-4.159.56.114.dial1.chicago1.level3.net - 4.159.56.114) on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 4:13 pm: Edit Post

The proposal of Senator Frist for a Global Health Corps seems well intentioned, but is too duplicative of the mission of Peace Corps to be given any serious consideration as a seperate program. If the intent is as it sounds, let it be subsumed under Peace Corps where physicians can already command a one year period of service. A shorter service time would not be deserving of the broad objectives cited.