Dr Carole Presern: Learning About Human Experience Beyond Borders

"When I met the great Desmond Tutu, he said 'always remember the
face'. I've never forgotten that lesson. So when I am going a
speaking engagement or in my daily work, everyone has frustrations
at work... but when I'm in that moment, I always remember the face.
Whether it's Cuthbert, one of our Guards in Zimbabwe who sadly
died, or the woman who first died under my care as a midwife, which
is a very traumatic experience for anyone. I will never forget the
name or face of this Cambodian lady. There are many others. I
always have that front centre because otherwise, it can become very
abstract when you're talking millions. I always have to see it on
an individual level."   My guest this episode is Global Health
Professional, Dr Carole Presern. With a career in health and
diplomacy spanning over three decades and three continents, Carole
has dedicated her life to advocating for people who don’t have
access to basic healthcare and support.  Growing up, Carole
was captivated by tales of far-flung places. Her career began in
London hospitals after training to be a midwife, but it wasn’t long
before she ventured overseas to work on the Cambodia/Thailand
border after the genocide under Pol Pot. She has since worked in
Nepal, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and beyond.  Carole is currently
the Head of Office of Board Affairs of the Global Fund - a
21st-century partnership organization designed to accelerate the
end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. Prior to this,
she held roles in Gavi, a global health partnership committed to
increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. She has also
served as Counsellor at the UK Mission in Geneva and worked for
many years for the UK’s Department for International
Development.  Carole has served on many boards, including the
International HIV Alliance and the Orchid Project. She holds a
doctorate in public health policy. Carole is my good friend Julia’s
mum. I used to ask her all the time about her Mum, what she did. I
am full of admiration for what she’s done in her career, so I am
really honoured to have finally had a chance to hear her story
directly, and what a story it is.  We talked all about her
early days in London hospitals, the stories of patients that have
stayed with her throughout her career, what she has learned about
the human experience from being at those intimate moments at the
start and end of people’s lives, and what it’s like to have lived a
life and career across borders. Find out more about Carole's work:
The Global Fund (https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/) Orchid Project
(https://www.orchidproject.org/) Follow me: Twitter: @katiephilo
(http://www.twitter.com/katiephilo) Instagram: @katiephilo
(https://www.instagram.com/katiephilo) www.katiephilo.com
(https://www.katiephilo.com/)