Constant Change, Soft Power and a Career Shift from Government to the Private Sector

Bill Steiger, Ph.D., brought a unique perspective few people can claim to have when he sat down in our Conversations in Health: Global to Local class. From inside the government to leading a private organization, he has helped shape U.S. global health policy by fighting one of the world’s oldest diseases. His role as chief executive officer of Malaria No More now allows Steiger to leverage his rich experience to create change in a unique and powerful manner.

One of his arguments that influenced me perhaps the most was his point around global health funding not being solely limited to charity. It is one of the best mediums for the U.S. to build and retain soft power internationally. Initiatives and programs that respond to outbreaks, treat malaria, and expand vaccine access abroad do not just save lives. They build a level of trust, goodwill, and influence that can’t be done through military or economic activity. Steiger argued that we shouldn’t overlook this facet because of its subtle nature and vulnerability to budget tightening. These investments create long-term impact.

Steiger also touched on the fluid nature of the field and how much is changing constantly. New geopolitical alignments, disease threats, financing mechanisms, and differing diagnostics mean that frameworks aren’t constant; they have to adapt. He spoke about how students pursuing global health careers must be versatile and ready to respond to new, unseen catalysts.

Perhaps the most riveting part of the discussion, derived from Steiger’s personal experience, is his recollection of moving from the regulatory world to the private sector. His experience in the private sector helped him understand how policy is created and applied, and what constraints apply. His time leading a private health organization encourages him to move faster and take more risks than he would in a government structure. I appreciated learning more about how the private and public sectors are intertwined instead of traditional separation accounts, alongside understanding more about the tradeoffs of each side rather than treating one as superior over the other.

The most important takeaway from this class session is that understanding global health policy is not limited to the lens of medicine or ethics; it’s more comprehensive and has aspects of foreign policy as well. It consists of people who move between different sectors and roles over the course of a career, enhancing actions through multifaceted viewpoints. Steiger’s own career path helps us understand that working in global health certainly isn’t linear, and that influence in the field is achieved through having unique backgrounds and perspectives.

Anant Bansal (H’29) is an undergraduate student majoring in human science at Georgetown University.