The countdown to what will be a historic moment in US politics has begun. On Tuesday Jan 20, US President-elect Barack Obama will officially pick up the keys to his new home-the Whitehouse, where he will preside for the next 4 years as the 44th President of the USA.

His appointment last year was hugely anticipated. His mission mantra:”it’s about time…it’s about change” echoed through the hearts of Americans and non-Americans alike. His job won’t be an easy one though. His many promises and pledges are to issues ranging from revitalising the global economy to ending the war in Iraq. But surely no issue can be more pressing than preserving the health of the nation and strengthening support for health worldwide. To mark this unprecedented opportunity and to celebrate Obama’s inauguration, The Vineeta foundation—a Washington DC-based health and human rights organisation in collaboration with others are hosting the Health for All Blue Diamond Ball-the first inaugural event in history dedicated to the issue of health. Key opinion leaders in domestic and international health will gather at the Smithsonian museum-home of the Hope diamond- on the evening of Jan 20 to focus attention on the challenges for health for all.

I am in DC right now with temperatures well below zero and dropping, but there’s a tremendous buzz and hope in the air for what will be a very celebratory few days. I do also plan to attend the Hope ball, that is of course if my gown meets the dress code!!

Pam Das

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 17th, 2009 at 1:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can trackback from your own site.