The 2019 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award has been presented to our Director Jeremy Farrar in recognition of his work to improve global public health. Ahead of the award ceremony on 9 May, he spoke to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) about his career and the people who have influenced him.

What are the greatest threats and opportunities for the infectious disease profession?

The greatest threat we face is to return to an insular, inward-looking, more nationalistic world, where we care only about ourselves and those who are like us. None of the greatest challenges of our time belong to one group, none can be solved by one group or country alone, and certainly none can be solved by isolationism.

For infectious diseases, the greatest threats are that we are complacent: by forgetting that drug resistance is inevitable; that not everyone is persuaded by vaccination; that inequality and poverty drive so many of our greatest challenges; and that conflict, inequality, migration, urbanisation, ecological and climate change will spread infections around the world. No matter where we live, and secure we may feel, our health and the world’s health depend on its most fragile link. Without sharing that risk and vulnerability, without sharing the benefits of science and research, we will not overcome the permanent threat of infections or address the great challenges of our time.

Read the full article about the infectious disease profession at Wellcome.