Rockefeller Foundation Launches $100 Million Initiative to Strengthen Health Systems in Africa, Asia

In launching the initiative, the foundation is shifting its focus from treatments and vaccines to supporting the efforts of low-income countries to address challenges in their health systems. "The Rockefeller Foundation has long been committed to public health interventions in the developing world to break bottlenecks that prevent access to quality health services," said the foundation's president, Judith Rodin. "Although it is imperative that we continue developing and delivering new vaccines and medicines, many people still cannot access a clinic [or] pay out-of-pocket costs for medication and treatment, and fall into poverty as a result. As countries begin to make significant investments in public health, [this] initiative will help ensure that investment is felt universally by supporting national efforts to provide equitable access."