Julio Frenk
Encyclopedia
Dr. Julio José Frenk Mora (b. December 20, 1953, Mexico City
) is a Mexican
physician
and former Secretary of Health of Mexico. On January 1, 2009, Dr. Frenk became Dean of the Faculty and T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development at the Harvard School of Public Health
.
, and went on to obtain three additional advanced degrees from the University of Michigan
: Master of Public Health
(1981), Master of Arts in Sociology
(1982), and joint Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Care Organization and in Sociology (1983).
His professional career began in 1984, when Dr. Frenk assumed the position of Founding Director of the Centre of Public Health Research, Ministry of Health of Mexico, a role he held until 1987. Following that appointment, Dr. Frenk went on to serve as the founding Director-General of the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (1987 to 1992). From 1995 to 1998 he served as the Executive Vice President of the Mexican Health Foundation, a private non-profit organization, and the Director of its Centre for Health and the Economy. In 1998 he was designated Executive Director of Evidence and Information for Policy at the World Health Organization
(WHO) in Geneva
.
Following the election of Vicente Fox
in Mexico’s 2000 presidential election, Dr. Frenk was appointed Minister of Health of Mexico, a position he held until December 2006.
Following his service as Minister of Health, Dr. Frenk was tapped to serve as Senior Fellow in the Global Health Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
where he counseled the foundation on global health issues and strategies.
In addition to his many executive positions, Dr. Frenk has served in several academic roles including, senior researcher at the National Institute of Public Health and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Mexico. He was also awarded the position of National Researcher. In 1992–1993 he was Visiting Professor at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.
He is the author of 28 books and monographs and many articles in academic journals as well as in cultural magazines and newspapers. He is also the member of the Editorial Boards of ten international journals and a member of twelve scientific and professional associations, including the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and the United States
Institute of Medicine
.
In 2003, while serving as Minister of Health of Mexico, Frenk introduced Seguro Popular, a program of comprehensive national health insurance which expanded access to health care for tens of millions of previously uninsured Mexicans http://www.thelancetglobalhealthnetwork.com/archives/112.
In 2004, Frenk was criticized by tobacco control advocates for cutting an unusual deal with tobacco companies. Philip Morris and British America Tobacco agreed to donate $400 million for health programs in Mexico over 2½ years but reserved the right to cancel the donation if cigarette taxes were raised http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116164895471701497.html%3Fmod%3Dtodays_us_page_one.
In September 2006 the Mexican government put Frenk's name forward as a candidate for the vacant position of Director-General of the World Health Organization
http://www.juliofrenk2006who.org. The British medical journal The Lancet
published an editorial http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606694968/fulltext endorsing Frenk as the best candidate, while The Wall Street Journal
reported that the controversial tobacco deal could hurt his chances for election http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116164895471701497.html%3Fmod%3Dtodays_us_page_one. The WHO position was awarded to Dr. Margaret Chan
in November 2006.
After failing to win the WHO post, Dr. Frenk assumed the position of head of the Carso Health Institute, a private, nonprofit center aimed at helping Latin America's poor. The organization was established by Mexican businessman Carlos Slim. Mr. Slim is a controlling shareholder in the Mexican unit of the tobacco company Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris) and sits on Altria's board of directors. As of March 2007. Mr. Slim's business holdings range from the Mexican phone company Telmex, to Inbursa financial group and Grupo Carso, which owns businesses ranging from retail stores to restaurants.
In July 2010, Dr. Frenk joined the board of the Commonwealth Fund.
) because of the decision of the Ministry of Health of distributing the morning after pill to government health clinics.
Shortly after Norberto Rivera Carrera (archbishop
of Mexico City
) declared that the introduction of the pill should not be made without public debate, Abascal announced debates on the decision would be made. However, Frenk has denied the existence of any plans in discussing the topic or withdrawing the distribution of the pills. Women's rights
groups have applauded the decision while anti-abortion activists and the Catholic Church have strongly decried the pill that is traditionally abortive.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
) is a Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and former Secretary of Health of Mexico. On January 1, 2009, Dr. Frenk became Dean of the Faculty and T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development at the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
.
Biography
Dr. Julio Frenk was born in Mexico City on December 20, 1953. He received his medical degree in 1979 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico UNAMUnam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
, and went on to obtain three additional advanced degrees from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
: Master of Public Health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
(1981), Master of Arts in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
(1982), and joint Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Care Organization and in Sociology (1983).
His professional career began in 1984, when Dr. Frenk assumed the position of Founding Director of the Centre of Public Health Research, Ministry of Health of Mexico, a role he held until 1987. Following that appointment, Dr. Frenk went on to serve as the founding Director-General of the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (1987 to 1992). From 1995 to 1998 he served as the Executive Vice President of the Mexican Health Foundation, a private non-profit organization, and the Director of its Centre for Health and the Economy. In 1998 he was designated Executive Director of Evidence and Information for Policy at the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
Following the election of Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
in Mexico’s 2000 presidential election, Dr. Frenk was appointed Minister of Health of Mexico, a position he held until December 2006.
Following his service as Minister of Health, Dr. Frenk was tapped to serve as Senior Fellow in the Global Health Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
where he counseled the foundation on global health issues and strategies.
In addition to his many executive positions, Dr. Frenk has served in several academic roles including, senior researcher at the National Institute of Public Health and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Mexico. He was also awarded the position of National Researcher. In 1992–1993 he was Visiting Professor at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.
He is the author of 28 books and monographs and many articles in academic journals as well as in cultural magazines and newspapers. He is also the member of the Editorial Boards of ten international journals and a member of twelve scientific and professional associations, including the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
.
In 2003, while serving as Minister of Health of Mexico, Frenk introduced Seguro Popular, a program of comprehensive national health insurance which expanded access to health care for tens of millions of previously uninsured Mexicans http://www.thelancetglobalhealthnetwork.com/archives/112.
In 2004, Frenk was criticized by tobacco control advocates for cutting an unusual deal with tobacco companies. Philip Morris and British America Tobacco agreed to donate $400 million for health programs in Mexico over 2½ years but reserved the right to cancel the donation if cigarette taxes were raised http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116164895471701497.html%3Fmod%3Dtodays_us_page_one.
In September 2006 the Mexican government put Frenk's name forward as a candidate for the vacant position of Director-General of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
http://www.juliofrenk2006who.org. The British medical journal The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
published an editorial http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606694968/fulltext endorsing Frenk as the best candidate, while The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
reported that the controversial tobacco deal could hurt his chances for election http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116164895471701497.html%3Fmod%3Dtodays_us_page_one. The WHO position was awarded to Dr. Margaret Chan
Margaret Chan
Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, OBE JP is the Director-General of the World Health Organization . Chan was elected by the Executive Board of the WHO on 8 November 2006, and was endorsed in a special meeting of the World Health Assembly on the following day...
in November 2006.
After failing to win the WHO post, Dr. Frenk assumed the position of head of the Carso Health Institute, a private, nonprofit center aimed at helping Latin America's poor. The organization was established by Mexican businessman Carlos Slim. Mr. Slim is a controlling shareholder in the Mexican unit of the tobacco company Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris) and sits on Altria's board of directors. As of March 2007. Mr. Slim's business holdings range from the Mexican phone company Telmex, to Inbursa financial group and Grupo Carso, which owns businesses ranging from retail stores to restaurants.
In July 2010, Dr. Frenk joined the board of the Commonwealth Fund.
The "morning after" pill
On July 2005 Frenk met the opposition of Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal (a conservative CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
) because of the decision of the Ministry of Health of distributing the morning after pill to government health clinics.
Shortly after Norberto Rivera Carrera (archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
) declared that the introduction of the pill should not be made without public debate, Abascal announced debates on the decision would be made. However, Frenk has denied the existence of any plans in discussing the topic or withdrawing the distribution of the pills. Women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
groups have applauded the decision while anti-abortion activists and the Catholic Church have strongly decried the pill that is traditionally abortive.
Awards
- Cecilio A. Robelo Award for Scientific Research, State of MorelosMorelosMorelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
, 1993. - Fellow, Michigan Society of Fellows, The University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, (1982–1984). - National researcher, Mexican Research System, Mexico City, (1984–1998).
- International Fellow in Health, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, (1986–1989).
- Member of the U.S. Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
External links
Profile on the site of the Presidency of Mexico.Ministry of Health.- Profile at the Harvard School of Public Health
- Speeches and Events, Harvard School of Public Health
- Profile at the OECD website.
- Frenk supports pill, denies rift with Abascal Article on El UniversalEl Universal (Mexico City)El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
. - http://www.juliofrenk2006who.org
- Dr Frenk gives a lecture on "Globalization and Health: Challenges to health systems in an interdependent world" on March 26, 2008
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7002127.stm
- The LancetThe LancetThe Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
- Vol. 371, Issue 9607, 12 January 2008 - http://www.thelancetglobalhealthnetwork.com/archives/112
- Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing CountriesGlobal Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing CountriesThe Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries is a research and advisory initiative promoted by the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the , the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health to address the global burden of cancer in...