Igniting the Power of Community

Dr. Paul A. Gaist is an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), with joint appointments in the Departments of Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; and Health, Behavior and Society. He is also a health scientist administrator in the Office of AIDS Research in the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health. He received both his PhD in behavioral sciences research and health education and his MPH in health policy and management from JHSPH. He also has degrees in psychology and physiology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Gaist's work in health and public health has provided him the opportunity to work and partner with CBOs and NGOs of many different types across a diverse array of health and public health concerns, both in the U.S.and around the world. Among the courses he teaches at JHSPH is a course he designed and started teaching in 2003 titled, "The Roles of CBOs and NGOs in Improving Global Public Health", which serves as the basis for this book. Previously in his career, he was an intramural researcher at the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH); a program director for the Psychobiology Branch of the NIMH; the Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS for the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Mental Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and a senior health advisor/agency representative at the White House National AIDS Program Office. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives (Routledge Publishing) and the Journal of Science and Engineering Ethics (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC).

Preparing for Action.- A Brief History of CBOs/NGOs in Health and Public Health.- From an Idea to a Sustainable Organization: Getting a Grassroots CBO Off the Ground.- The Importance of Sustainability in International Public Health NGOs.- Donor Organizations: What You Need to Know.- Areas of Action.- Philanthropy and the Culture of Giving: Its Beginnings, Current Character, and Future Expectations.- The Freedom to Innovate: The Contributions of Social Entrepreneurs to the Field of Global Public Health.- Faith-Based Organizations and Public Health.- Disasters and Conflict Zones Around the World: The Roles and Relationships of the Military and Nongovernmental Organizations.- Evidence, Equity, and Economics: Lessons and Challenges of the Environmental Health Movement.- On the Frontline: Community-Based Organizations in Health Research.- Citizens in Action.- YEAH: One Story of Inspiration and Success.- The American Red Cross: Delivering Services and Working with Partners in the USA and Around the World.- CARE: The Contribution of an International NGO to Global Health.- Health Care for the Homeless: Beyond Repairing the Safety Net.- Practical and Pragmatic: Strategically Applying Gender Perspectives to Increase the Power of Global Health Policies and Programs.- “Happy Healthy Muppets”: A Look at Sesame Workshop’s Health Initiatives Around the World.- Working Across Sectors: Preventing Disease and Promoting Health Through Policy and Practice.- Human Trafficking and Its Public Health Implications.- Healthy Carolinians Microfinancing: Igniting the Power of the Community.- Working Across Borders: Transnational NGOs.- Call to Action.- Players and Pawns: The Current Controversy with and Clampdown on NGOs in Russia.- Community-Based Organizations in the Millennium:Opportunities for Growth, Challenges to Survival.- Global Public Health: Winning the Fight.