In this talk, social and behavioral epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Bouey explores collaborative public health efforts between the United States and China in combating HIV/AIDS from 2002 to 2018. This effort produced notable benefits both globally and synergistically for the partner states and demonstrates that cooperation on public health issues is an opportunity to explore and expand the space for U.S.-China collaboration on matters of shared concern. Dr. Bouey concludes with several recommendations for preserving public health as a collaborative space amid heightened competition between the United States and China. These include promoting transparent information sharing on public health risks, taking steps to deepen collaboration at three distinct bilateral levels, strengthening multilateral public health frameworks at the global and regional levels, and building up the United States’ and China’s reputations in the international global health space.
Dr. Jennifer Bouey is the Chair of the Department of Global Health at Georgetown University. She is also the Tang Chair for China Policy Studies at RAND Corporation and a Pardee RAND graduate school professor. As an epidemiologist with training in clinical medicine and quantitative research, she has led multiple global research initiatives on the social determinants of health and geopolitical influence on global health. Her research centers on understanding regional health collaborations for pandemic preparedness, health system strengthening after pandemic, and influence of US-China competition on community and global development. Dr. Bouey's work has been published in scholarly journals such as the American Journal of Public Health, Health Affairs, and Emerging Infectious Disease and quoted often by mainstream media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Bouey testified multiple times before the U.S. Congressional committees. She also serves on the advisory board for the Bush US-China Relations Foundation, CSIS-Brookings Restart US-China Collaboration Initiative, and Chinese American Health Services.
Host: Prof Cameron Campbell, Acting Dean, School of Humanities and Social Science, HKUST