Earlier this week, vaccine and global health advocates gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Global Health Advocacy Summit with Shot@Life and United to Beat Malaria. It was an energizing convening focused on one clear goal: ensuring every child, everywhere, has access to life-saving vaccines and care.
Our very own Dr. Sallie Permar and Dr. Karen Acker spoke on a panel with Dr. Nate Kuppermann of Children’s National, moderated by pediatrician content creator, Dr. Anita Patel. They brought both scientific expertise and passionate advocacy to the national stage. Together, they participated in a dynamic communications panel exploring one of the most urgent challenges in global health today, how to communicate clearly, compassionately, and effectively in an era of misinformation.
The panel underscored that data alone is not enough. Building vaccine confidence requires trust, storytelling, and connection. Dr. Permar spoke about the responsibility of physician-scientists to translate research breakthroughs into language that resonates with families and policymakers alike. Dr. Acker emphasized the importance of meeting communities where they are by listening first, and grounding conversations in shared values around protecting children’s health.
Throughout the Summit, advocates sharpened their messaging and storytelling skills and then put them into action by heading to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and call for sustained investment in global health and immunization programs, like funding Gavi and polio eradication efforts. These conversations reinforced a powerful truth that vaccines are one of the most effective tools in medicine, but they only save lives when supported by advocacy, policy, funding, and public trust.
The Global Health Advocacy Summit was more than a conference, it was a reminder that pediatricians are not only clinicians, caregivers, and researchers, but also storytellers and changemakers. Through leadership in education, innovation, communication, and advocacy, Weill Cornell Pediatrics continues to help ensure that every child has a shot at life.