The intersection between global public health and international law will be the focus of a School of Law Dean Rusk Center lecture Jan. 21. Dr. Ali S. Khan, an assistant surgeon general and acting deputy director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will discuss “A One Health Strategy for Global Health Security” at 12:30 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Rusk Hall. The lecture is co-sponsored by UGA’s College of Public Health.
According to Khan, amidst an unprecedented decrease in infectious diseases, humans remain vulnerable to emerging, re-emerging and yet-to-be-discovered microbial threats. These microbial threats have proven to have profound societal, economic and health implications and will continue or even intensify in the coming years. A “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal and environmental health is necessary to address these dynamic and tightly coupled elements.
Kahn will explore how, within this multidisciplinary approach, public health law plays a critical role in confronting infectious disease threats through quarantine laws, the declaration of public health emergencies and the International Health Regulations.
Khan joined the CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 1991 as an epidemic intelligence service officer. Over the past decade, he has responded to numerous domestic and international public health emergencies.
