GARY SLUTKIN, M.D.

Professor, Epidemiology and International Health,

University of Illinois (UIC) School of Public Health and

Director, The Chicago Project for Violence Prevention/CeaseFire

 

Expertise:  Reducing urban violence through proven behavior change and outreach technologies; coordination of technical assistance efforts; adaptation of WHO international methods to problems of scale; international health; epidemic control, violence reduction.    

 

CAREER SUMMARY

Physician trained in internal medicine ( University of Chicago , University of California , San Francisco ), infectious disease control (San Francisco General Hospital) and in reversing epidemics (World Health Organization).  Discovered and demonstrated a practical link between the transmission and spreading of epidemics and urban street violence, and how to better control it. Method is based on work over 25 years in tuberculosis (TB) control in San Francisco and Somalia,  cholera and child mortality reduction in Somalia, and AIDS behavior change interventions in Uganda, and 15 other African and Asian countries.

 

Director of tuberculosis control for San Francisco, helped reverse epidemic with highest rate of TB in U.S. at time; co-directed cholera control efforts in Somalia; recruited by World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987 to direct support of Uganda’s AIDS program which resulted in reversal of the epidemic in Uganda – only country to have had a successful reversal for over 10 years. Created and led the WHO’s Intervention Development Unit which guided over 120 countries in epidemiologic and program methods.

 

Retuned to U.S. in 1995, developed CeaseFire  a new and scientifically grounded strategy for rapidly reducing violent behavior based on behavior change and health/epidemic control methods; recently  proven scientifically effective and evidence based by an independent U.S. Department of Justice study using four different statistical methods and implemented by four different Universities. CeaseFire method is now in much demand, and beginning to being implemented in several U.S. cities (and abroad).

 

COUNTRIES WORKED IN

Africa: Somalia , Kenya , Tanzania , Malawi , Zaire , Central African Republic ,

Cameroun , Liberia , several others

Middle EastIraq , Jordan ; Asia:  Thailand , India

Latin America and Caribbean: Brazil , Jamaica

Pacific: American Samoa , Solomon Islands

 

CURRENT POSITION

Founder and Director, Center for Reducing Violence /CeaseFire, 1995 – present  

Developed new and recently proven intervention (CeaseFire) for reducing urban violence using behavior change and epidemic reversal methods. Intervention replicated 16 times, and now evidence-based practice. “CeaseFire” uses several new categories to interrupt conflicts and maintain highest risk under care, and mobilizes whole community to change norms. Averages 45% drops in shootings and killings.

 

Professor, Epidemiology, International Health, University of IllinoisChicago ; School of Public Health

Senior Advisor, World Health Organization

 

The CeaseFire method received the highest award of the U.S Department of Justice, First Place Volvo National Award for Safety, highlighted in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, US News and World Report, Lehrer News Hour, Anderson Cooper 360, and countless other publications and media.

 

PRIOR POSITONS

·         U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, 1994-95

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Assistant Secretary of Health,

Washington , D.C. ; Advisor and Coordinator, Division of Violence Prevention

Worked with Dr. Phil Lee (HHS) and intercabinet interagency effort to design national multiple city effort

to reduce violence with combined health and criminal justice approaches. Established foundation for

Chicago based strategy development as pilot site.

 

·         World Health Organization (WHO) – Africa, Asia , and Headquarters, 1987- 94

Chief, Intervention Development and Support, WHO, 1990-94

Founded and directed 40 person WHO technical unit which reviewed over 20 international

Behavior change efforts; designed behavior change and epidemic control interventions, and supported

countries in implementation through technical assistance, training and guiding materials.

 

·         World Health Organization – E. and Central Africa , and global strategy, 1987-90 

Assistant Director, Country Programs, and Medical Epidemiologist, Global Program on AIDS,WHO

Supported Uganda AIDS program (first country in Africa to reverse its epidemic).  

 

Start-up and support to all 13 countries in epicenter of African AIDS epidemic; guiding in series of technical and managerial steps toward epidemic reversal. Developed the method for monitoring trends and responses to HIV/AIDS now used worldwide.

 

Co-organized technical assistance and training effort to start AIDS programs in 120 countries using 1,500 consultant missions worldwide over 3 years Effort included guiding program strategy, management, monitoring, impact, and donor support.

 

Coordinated global strategy development on joint AIDS and tuberculosis actions, involving WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, IUATLD, etc.

 

Represented World Health Organization at dozens of global (e.g. World Council of Ministers of Health, UNICEF, ASEAN Countries, World Bank, IMF, EU, etc) as well as national political, advocacy, strategy and donor meetings to raise profile of effort or direct strategy according to WHO and country priorities.

 

·         Somalia, E. Africa 1985-87  (followed several 1983-85 consulting trips)

Advisor to the Director, National Primary Health Care Program (PHC), Somalia  

Organized technical assistance and training effort to tuberculosis epidemic in one million refugees in 40

camps, involving thousands of health workers.

 

Co-directed detection, prevention, and treatment response to widespread cholera epidemic in

multiple sites throughout northern half of Somalia .

 

Advisor and counterpart to Director Primary Health Care, expanded basic health services from 4 to 14

(out of  total 18) regions. (AMREF/Flying Doctors, Ministry of Health Refugee Health Unit and USAID)

 

·         University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), and San Francisco Health Department, 1975-85

Medical Director, Tuberculosis Control, San Francisco Department of Health, 1981-85

Responsible for reducing the amount of tuberculosis in San Francisco . Epidemic reversed,

and multi-drug resistant epidemic prevented. Pioneered outreach for case finding and for maintaining

most infectious persons on therapy.  Along with one other U.S. city, developed “short course” and

“directly observed” approach, subsequently adapted most cities. SF program is now a national

and international training center for this approach and new scientific developments.

 

Assoc. Professor, Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, International Health, UCSF, SFGH, 1981-85

Physician attending to patients on medical wards and infectious disease service; training medical

residents, Interns, and medical students.

           

Chief Resident, SFGH and Infectious Disease Fellow, UCSF Department of Epidemiology and International Health, 1979-81

Concurrently served as SFGH Chief Resident in Medicine and infectious disease fellow, following introductory year in Africa (1978-79; 14 countries).

                       

EDUCATION

BS, University of Illinois , Physiology, Chemistry, and Psychology, Summa Cum Laude

MD, University of Chicago , Pritzker School of Medicine, Summa Cum Laude  

Board Certified, Internal Medicine, University of California , San Francisco (UCSF)

Intern, Resident, Chief Resident

Board Certified, Infectious Diseases, San Francisco General Hospital , and UCSF

Epidemiology and Health Research Methods, UCSF/UC Berkeley School of Public Health
 

List of Publications