Puerto Rico went on lockdown on March 15th as a response to the worldwide spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Dr. Grabowsky will use his extensive experience in organizations such as the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and National Institute of Health to help us understand what we are facing through a discussion on:

• Successes and failures in dealing with the pandemics in other countries         
• How to mobilize citizens
• The role of social sectors in supporting the collective goal of minimizing COVID-19 deaths among the elderly and most vulnerable.
• Organizing a disease response in communities by helping them develop action plans that meet collective goals.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Mark Grabowsky is an internationally recognized expert on disease prevention and child health. Across his career, Dr. Grabowsky has also held senior level posts at the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, American Red Cross, and the Canadian International Development Agency.

He has over 25 years of experience at the forefront of significant global health challenges including efforts to reduce measles and malaria deaths in developing countries and advance HIV-prevention strategies. At NIH, he was Chief of HIV Prevention Research and HIV Vaccine Clinical Development. At CDC, he founded and led global partnerships for measles and malaria control and has worked on disease control efforts in over 30 countries. With the UN Special Envoy’s Office he was responsible for directing strategic partnerships to finance the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. As Deputy Director of the National Vaccine Program Office he was on the national H1N1 Task Force and led efforts to increase flu vaccination nationally. His most recent position was as Chief Medical Officer at Pantheryx, Inc. He currently resides in San Juan.