One year ago, Dr. Takeshi Kasai was elected the World Health Organization Regional Director of the West Pacific—a region composed of 37 countries and areas, from China to American Samoa, from Australia to the Philippines, where he is based. At its heart are 1.9 billion people —a quarter of humanity— with vastly different health needs and a great number of dynamic micro-communities. Our host James Chau speaks with Dr. Kasai on how COVID-19 continues to impact this region, the template it offers to the unfolding global pandemic elsewhere, and why he is adamant that the disease is called "COVID-19" — and nothing else.

When Ebola hit Africa, its healthcare systems were neither ready nor equipped to meet the crisis. Like COVID-19, the loss of life was tragic, and the outbreak influenced leaders in Africa – and particularly then President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia – to more heavily invest in health training and infrastructure, so that it would never happen again. Our host and WHO Goodwill Ambassador, James Chau, speaks with Dr. Vanessa Kerry, CEO of Seed Global Health, about the lessons learned from Ebola. Follow us for the latest stories in our special coverage on the novel outbreak.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry saw from a young age the importance of health education around the world. Now, she is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health, training over 16,000 health professionals internationally. Our host and WHO Goodwill Ambassador, James Chau, speaks with Dr. Kerry about the critical role of health workers in our communities – a lesson that all countries are being reminded to learn again in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Follow us for the latest stories in our special coverage on the novel outbreak.