The Office of Global Affairs posts and supports Health Attachés in almost every region of the world. Working at the intersection of global health and diplomacy, Health Attachés facilitate relationships between the United States Government and our in-country and regional counterparts to create space for HHS to apply its expertise globally, advance research through collaboration, and contribute to effective health policy. Health Attachés both advise Embassy officials and HHS staff at the Mission where they are posted and represent HHS and US global health interests to the local Ministries of Health (MOH) and Science and Technology (MOST) and in key regional policy discussions. US Missions that have a Health Attaché have stronger relationships with the local MOH, as one role of Health Attachés is a more formal coordination system with the host country on the intersection of health and any number of sectors, including trade, security, or the environment. They are also an important point of contact for the United States in the event of an infectious disease outbreak or other public health emergencies.
OGA currently has seven Health Attachés posted in strategic locations around the world: Brazil, China, Kenya, India, Mexico, and South Africa, as well as a seventh in Geneva, Switzerland, to work with the WHO and other multilateral organizations. We continue to receive more requests for health attachés than there is capacity to support.
