President of Tanzania emphasizes on health care in Global Health Grand Rounds lecture

President Jakaya Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania spoke at Weill Cornell Medical College today. In his Global Health Grand Rounds lecture, President Kikwete discussed the most significant challenges facing Tanzania, with a particular focus on health care and the advances made during his first term.

Using the past and present as benchmarks, President Kikwete laid out his vision for meaningful and sustainable progress in health care in Tanzania, as well as goals for his next term. He also emphasized the importance of international partnerships and support and the role that health care professionals can play in attaining this goal.

President Kikwete is a leading voice in the struggle to increase the availability of quality health care in developing countries. In his own country he took the bold step of taking an HIV test on national television to destigmatize testing and promote public health.

"I am grateful to President Kikwete for sharing his valuable insights with us today," says Dr. Antonio M. Gotto Jr., the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Weill Cornell is committed to teaching and practicing medicine in a global context. We cherish our relationship with the people of Tanzania and the learning opportunities that have grown from our collaborative work at Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center."

The Global Health Grand Rounds lecture, held at Uris Auditorium at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, was organized by Weill Cornell medical students. Sandeep Kishore, an M.D.-Ph.D. candidate at Weill Cornell and global health curriculum steering member, says: "Enhancing the visibility of global health through our Global Health Grand Rounds program reinforces the message that the fusion of social justice and medicine is not just 'a hobby,' but a legitimate, credible vocation for tomorrow's doctors and medical leaders."

SOURCE Weill Cornell Medical College