Deployed

An insider’s account of a global health leader’s career tackling infectious diseases and systemic public health challenges.

In Deployed, Kevin M. De Cock, MD, chronicles his extraordinary career as a physician who has confronted the world’s most pressing infectious disease crises. Beginning his work at a time when infectious diseases were widely considered to be vanquished, De Cock emerged as a pivotal figure in battling the AIDS pandemic, outbreaks of Ebola and Yellow Fever, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through vivid storytelling, De Cock shares the realities of global health work, balancing scientific discovery, cultural challenges, and political intricacies. This book provides a rare, insider’s perspective on decades of public health evolution, from the early recognition of AIDS as a global health priority to the struggles of addressing emerging pandemics in the twenty-first century amid systemic challenges like health inequities. Rich in lessons for medical and public health professionals, this powerful book highlights the urgency and complexity of leading global health efforts in an interconnected world.

Spanning continents and crises, Deployed offers a unique exploration of the intersections among medicine, epidemiology, and global public health. De Cock draws from his experiences in diverse settings, from African hospitals tackling endemic diseases to high-stakes international efforts addressing viral outbreaks. This compelling narrative bridges the gap between the clinical and cultural, offering both inspiration and practical guidance to a new generation of global health leaders.

Author Biography

Kevin M. De Cock, MD, is the former Director of the Centers for Disease Control Kenya, the founding director of the CDC’s Center for Global Health, and the former director of WHO’s Department of HIV/AIDS. He is the coauthor of Dispatches from the AIDS Pandemic: A Public Health Story.