David Bryden Named Director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition

The Frontline Health Workers Coalition is thrilled to welcome our new director, David Bryden, who will begin his new role on January 4, 2021. 

Bryden has 16 years of experience in global health advocacy, policy, partnership management, and external relations, most recently with RESULTS. For nine years, he’s been coleader of the Tuberculosis Roundtable. His expertise spans US and multilateral global health policy and advocacy initiatives with Congress and US development funding agencies. 

Bryden joins the coalition at a crucial moment for global health and frontline health workers in low- and middle-income countries. Right now, our members are urging US Congress to provide at least $20 billion in emergency funding for a global response to COVID-19, including at least $11 billion for global health and significant support for health workforce and health systems strengthening. And the US presidential transition will bring new opportunities to advocate for COVID-response funding and support for health workers around the world.  

“This is an incredibly important time for the coalition and for all of us who focus on frontline health workers,” says Polly Dunford, president and CEO of IntraHealth International. “COVID-19 has put health workers in the global spotlight like never before, and every day they’re facing incredible challenges and danger to keep us all safe. The coalition is a powerful force for getting these issues in front of legislators and effecting major policy changes. We’re so happy David has joined us—he’s exactly the right person to lead us in these efforts.” 

Bryden will also serve as senior policy and advocacy advisor at IntraHealth, which hosts the secretariat for the Frontline Health Workers Coalition. 

At least 44,000 health workers in Africa, 12,000 health workers in Asia, and 570,000 health workers in Latin America and the Caribbean have been infected with COVID-19, threatening their lives and overall health system capacity. Ninety percent of countries have experienced disruption to essential health services, with low- and middle-income countries reporting the greatest difficulties. 

And even before the pandemic, the world faced a global shortage of 18 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. 

“I’m honored to be joining the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and IntraHealth at such a crucial moment for our field and our global population,” Bryden says. “The coalition’s members are some of the most dedicated, effective global health organizations in the world, and their combined impact on international development has been phenomenal. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this powerful alliance as we pool our resources and expertise to advocate for greater, more strategic investments in frontline health workers.” 

Bryden’s arrival will coincide with the first days of 2021, which the World Health Organization has designated the Year of the Health and Care Worker. The Frontline Health Workers Coalition is supporting the WHO in this campaign, through which we’ll advocate on a global scale to address persistent health worker challenges. 

Also read: Frontline Health Workers Coalition Releases Revised COVID-19 Policy Recommendations 

The Frontline Health Workers Coalition (FHWC) is an alliance of United States-based organizations working together to urge greater and more strategic investments in frontline health workers in low- and middle-income countries as a cost-effective way to save lives and foster a healthier, safer, and more prosperous world.