PATH welcomes Samantha Power as new USAID administrator
PATH congratulates Samantha Power on being confirmed as the new administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Throughout her career as a journalist, in academia, and in public service, Ambassador Power has demonstrated her deep commitment to human rights, equity, and protecting those most vulnerable. She will bring remarkable knowledge and expertise in foreign affairs to the role of administrator, which will be essential to advancing America’s partnerships globally.
In an era when coordinated international action is critically important, Ambassador Power has a prime opportunity to lead US reengagement with the global community by tackling the world’s most pressing health and development challenges. At this critical moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States must work closely with international partners to not only end the acute phase of the pandemic, but to ensure health systems everywhere are prepared to respond to future disease outbreaks. In giving the USAID administrator a seat on the National Security Council (NSC), the Biden administration is making clear its commitment to global health and development and acknowledging the importance of USAID in the US’s COVID-19 response.
“Samantha Power is an experienced stateswoman with the gravitas to fill this important role,” said Heather Ignatius, PATH’s senior director of policy and external affairs. “The addition of the USAID administrator to the NSC will ensure that development priorities, including global health, are on the agenda at one of the nation’s highest decision-making tables.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a terrible reminder that threats to health are threats to the well-being and prosperity of every nation on the globe. We look forward to working with Ambassador Power, and our colleagues at USAID, to ensure that solutions for the current pandemic, as well as many other health concerns, are scaled up globally to advance health equity.
