Health care is not a commodity or a privilege, but a social right, said Dr. Julio Frenk, former Minister of Health for Mexico, who delivered the Commencement Address at HSPH on June 7 in the Countway Courtyard.

"The premise here is that all human lives have the same value and that health systems must represent instances where everybody, regardless of gender, race, national origin, or socioeconomic status, must receive similar treatment for similar needs," he said. "Since the great majority of health deficits are involuntary, it follows that no type of discrimination in access to health services can be morally valid."

A short video, webcast, photo gallery, and transcripts are available.

While health minister, Dr. Frenk led a major reform of the Mexican health care system that helped provide care for approximately 50 million impoverished Mexicans. He is now a visiting professor at HSPH.

He described several overarching paradoxes facing health care worldwide. Never before has the power of science been greater, yet millions die unnecessarily from preventable and treatable diseases, he noted. Many countries have rural communities without doctors, while urban communities have doctors without jobs. Unprecedented sums of aid are flowing into developing countries, but that aid is rendered ineffective when the resulting intellectual capital emigrates. And, while health is a key factor in the fight against poverty, health care itself is so expensive that it can impoverish people.

These conundrums can be addressed by developing evidence-based policies and by transforming ideals into what Frenk called "the integrity base" for coherent action.

HSPH Dean Barry Bloom welcomed the graduates and their families. He noted that public health has emerged as a front-burner issue on national and international agendas due to issues such as bioterrorism, HIV/AIDS, and extremely drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis.

"Perhaps for the first time, you, our graduates, will not have to explain what public health is to your families and friends," said Dean Bloom. "We are entering a time of heightened awareness about public health and a recognition that, as our former President Larry Summers once said, 'There is probably no other area of human endeavor in which the application of thought and resources can make so profound a difference in as many people's lives as the world of public health and biomedical science.'"

There was also a presentation of student awards:

The School awarded 473 graduate degrees in public health this year, including 404 master's degrees, 52 doctorates, and 17 PhDs. More than half of the class were women, and one-quarter of the students came from countries outside the United States. Dr. Joel Kase, MPH '07, delivered the student speech, and Dr. Mark Clanton, a chief medical staff officer of The American Cancer Society, provided greetings on behalf of alumni. James Ware, Dean for Academic Affairs, presented the diplomas.

Jesse Rohde, MPH, received the Albert Schweitzer Award, which is given to a student whose past work and activities during his/her academic program have been marked by a "reverence for life" and who has sought, as expressed by Schweitzer, to "make my life an argument."

Jill Roncarati, MPH, was given the Fang-Ching Sun Memorial Award, which recognizes a student who has demonstrated a commitment to promoting the health and well-being of the underserved.

The Gareth M. Green Award for Excellence in Public Health was given to three MPH students: Genevieve Daftary, Cynthia Mesh, and Jennie Wei. The award recognizes the student or student team that designs and implements a project in public health that contributes to the improvement of the health of a defined population, and makes a significant contribution to the public health practice knowledge base.

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