CQ HealthBeat: Former CDC Director to Lead Global Cardiovascular Initiative
“Thomas Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will lead a $225 million initiative aimed at reducing deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, he announced on Tuesday. … While most of the organization’s resources would be devoted to cardiovascular disease, Frieden said it would also support efforts to fight infectious disease outbreaks…” (Siddons, 9/12).

Devex: Bloomberg, CZI, Gates join forces in their ‘resolve’ to save lives
“With $225 million, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [Tuesday] launched Resolve, a five-year initiative focused on preventing cardiovascular disease and epidemics. … Resolve will be implemented by a team of global health professionals at Vital Strategies, a New York-based organization working to improve public health systems in more than 60 countries, whose major donors include Bloomberg Philanthropies…” (Cheney, 9/12).

The Guardian: Resolve health initiative aims to save 100m lives worldwide
“…The latest initiative has two distinct aims. One is to cut deaths from heart disease and stroke through three simple measures: reducing sodium intake worldwide, banning trans fats from foods in all countries, and getting people with high blood pressure on treatment. The other is to help low- and middle-income countries prepare to deal better with the inevitable epidemics he says will come along, from flu to SARS…” (Boseley, 9/12).

Healio: Ex-CDC chief Frieden launches global health program with $225M in funds
“… ‘After leaving CDC, I had the opportunity to think big, to look at the leading causes of death around the world and to combine that with lessons learned in nearly three decades of work in public health in this country and around the world,’ Frieden, who stepped down from the CDC on Inauguration Day, said during a teleconference…” (9/12).

HuffPost: Former CDC Director’s New Initiative Aims To Save 100 Million Lives
“…The initiative will receive $225 million over five years from the Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, marking the first time those three major philanthropic players have collaborated in funding such a project…” (Weber, 9/12).

New York Times: Frieden’s Next Act: Heart Disease and Preparing for New Epidemics
“…In a conversation with the New York Times, Dr. Frieden discussed his new work, and looked back on some old battles…” (Belluck/Hoffman, 9/12).

NPR: Tom Frieden’s New Venture Combines 2 Disparate Health Threats
“… ‘The connection between the two initiatives is that strengthening public health systems is at the core for each. We’ll work in partnership with governments and organizations’…” (Cole, 9/12).

Reuters: Former U.S. CDC director takes aim at outbreaks, heart disease
“…To fight heart disease, the group will invest in efforts to reduce the amount of artery-clogging trans-fats from their menus, a reprise of Frieden’s efforts in 2006 as New York City health commissioner to ban trans-fats from restaurants. They also aim to support countries’ efforts to reduce sodium and increase treatment of high blood pressure, which kills 10 million people every year, more than from all infectious diseases combined…” (Steenhuysen, 9/12).

STAT: Former CDC director Tom Frieden to launch new global health initiative
“… ‘With the vantage point I have from the past eight years at CDC and the past 20 years working in global health, I identified specific areas where the world is at a tipping point. And with strategic investments we can make an enormous difference saving lives. And that’s how we designed this’…” (Branswell, 9/12).

Washington Post: Former CDC chief launches $225 million global health initiative
“… ‘I hope five years from now we’ll look back and see this was the inflection point for rapid progress in preventing global cardiovascular disease deaths and improving epidemic preparedness,’ Frieden said. ‘In a few years, we hope that blood pressure control, sodium reduction, elimination of trans fats, and strong public health systems will have become the new normal’…” (Sun, 9/12).