WA State Department of Health and PATH join forces to leverage global health best practices in Washington State

Seattle, Washington, September 17, 2024—The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) and global health nonprofit PATH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to establish a new partnership to improve local WA public health outcomes by leveraging global health best practices. The MOU was signed by Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington State Secretary of Health, and Nikolaj Gilbert, PATH President and CEO.

Earlier this year, the WA DOH created the Executive Office of Global and One Health, becoming the first state health agency in the nation to establish an office committed to bringing global best practices to the domestic health space. Under the MOU, PATH will leverage its nearly 50 years of experience providing innovative global solutions to health challenges in over 70 countries to support the WA DOH Office of Global and One Health’s transformative approach to strengthening public health outcomes in Washington. This includes exploring new collaborative opportunities to improve outcomes for maternal and child health; addressing pandemic and disease preparedness; and supporting vaccine introduction, uptake, and monitoring, among many other health areas.

Following the MOU signing, PATH’s Institutional Official and Senior Director of Program Quality and Impact, Dr. Cyril Engmann hosted a fireside chat event with Dr. Umair A. Shah, Nikolaj Gilbert, and Dr. Atousa Salehi, the inaugural Chief of Global and One Health. Present for this event was a community of local and global health stakeholders eager to learn more about the WA DOH vision for using global health lessons to improve health and well-being in Washington and partner to devise solutions.

“At the Washington State Department of Health, everything we do begins with our cornerstone values of equity, innovation, and engagement,” said Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. “Public health and global health are the cornerstones of a thriving society. By partnering with PATH, their wealth of expertise in health equity, we are safeguarding the well-being of populations by taking lessons learned globally and applying them locally. Leveraging each other's strengths we can work together to build better systems to prevent disease and prolong life, but also foster economic stability, social harmony, and a brighter future for all.”

“It’s never been clearer that global health and local health are profoundly interconnected, this new agreement highlights the importance of connecting global health lessons learned to local health priorities. We are thrilled to be entering this partnership with the WA DOH and look forward to sharing our decades of global health expertise to support the health of our neighbors here in PATH’s home state,” said Nikolaj Gilbert.

By leveraging global health best practices and using the One Health approach which acknowledges the interplay between human, animal, and environmental health, WA DOH and PATH are supporting a healthier future for all Washingtonians.

About the Washington State Department of Health

The Washington State Department of Health (WA-DOH) is the nationally recognized and fully accredited public health agency serving nearly 8 million people across the Evergreen State. With a team of 3,000 dedicated health professionals and a bi-annual budget of $2.5 billion, WA-DOH works to ensure the health and well-being of communities throughout the state in partnership with 35 local health departments, 29 federally recognized Tribes, 100 hospitals, and countless public, private, and community partners. Through its cornerstone values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement (EIE), WA-DOH is Transforming Health today and for future generations, serving as a model for others across the nation and the globe.

Media contact: DOH Communications, DOH-PIO@doh.wa.gov

About PATH

PATH is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving health equity worldwide. With nearly 50 years of experience in forging partnerships across sectors and expertise in various fields, including science, economics, technology, and advocacy, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to tackle the world’s most pressing health challenges. Visit www.path.org for more information.

Media contact: Amber Kiwan, akiwan@path.org