Health & Environment

War Without An Army: Responding To Infectious Disease Catastrophes In A Globalized World

January 23, 2018

Bush complex from above

By Lauren Holtmeier, Texas A&M University Bush School of Government and Public Service

Joseph Fair, a modern-day international disease detective, will lead a discussion titled, “War Without an Army: Responding to Infectious Disease Catastrophes in a Globalized World.” The Texas A&M University Bush School of Government and Public Service is hosting the event on Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m. in the Presidential Library Orientation Theater of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Even with groundbreaking advances in modern medicine, diseases and plagues still threaten the developing world and have the potential to become global disasters.

Fair travels the world in search of plagues before they become global disasters. He has a unique ability to take the complexities of natural disasters, outbreaks and pandemics as well as the convergence of factors leading to a rise in the tide of emerging infectious diseases, and break them into simple-to-understand concepts.

Fair has authored or coauthored more than 45 peer-reviewed articles on virology, public health, emergency response and virus hunting in disease “hotspots” around the world and works as an international outbreak responder.

He has been highlighted by “60 Minutes,” the Washington Post, CNN, Al Jazeera, NPR, Vice News, NBC News, and other media outlets. In addition to his media appearances, Fair has risen to prominence as an international leader in outbreak response and has appeared on congressional and Senate panels with the most senior leadership in U.S. and international governments. His ability to break down concepts and explain how outbreaks happen has been considered invaluable to decision-makers and policymakers.

A reception is taking place before the event from 5 to 5:30 p.m., and registration is open on the Bush School website.

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Media contact: Susan Robertson, srobertson@tamu.edu, 979.862.8845

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