Dr. John Nkengasong

speaker

208 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Jul 2026 last heard 9 Jul

Dr. John Nkengasong’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

Trend

recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 1.

Appearances

newest first · ▶ plays the moment

Science Friday · Amid shifting politics, can we build stable global health systems? · 9 Jul 2026 podcast

Every country has its own army.

Where is the army to fight diseases?

That is a serious threat to all of us.

Where are we producing diagnostics?

OK, across the world so that we move away from accusation like, oh, the United States produced diagnostics of Europe and kept it for themselves and not share it with the developing world.

That doesn't create trust at all.

Public health is political.

It has always been, right?

I mean, we the scientists can invent the tools, can know exactly how are you affected, who is affected, why are you affected, where are you affected.

So we can do all of that and describe it, but if there's no political will behind that, it doesn't go anywhere, and diplomatic will.

So two things, political will, diplomatic will.

Let me substantiate that.

We will still be dealing with HIV-AIDS today if there was no political capital orchestrated by President Bush.

When I met him, when I was confirmed as the ambassador for the U.S.

Global AIDS Coordinator, I went to meet with him and with Laura.

We sat down and I asked him the question, President, why did you create PEPFAR?

And he said, I believe in God and to whom much is given, much is required.

And the United States has been blessed and they could solve that problem because Condi Rice came to me, I'm quoting him, and said, there's a whole continent that is going to be eliminated by HIV AIDS.

Then he laughed.

He said, I went to Congress and ambushed them.

Showing 181–200 of 208 · page 10 of 11