Work
Seed Global Health
Dr. Kerry is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health.
Seed Global Health (Seed) is challenging the status quo. We are united in the belief that quality, dignified healthcare can and should be accessible for all. We have seen firsthand how dedication, discipline, and long-term investments in the health workforce can improve health outcomes in any setting.
Working with governments across sub-Saharan Africa, Seed seeks to catalyze and inspire lasting change in the public health systems of our partner countries. We help to train nurses, midwives, and physicians (over 47,000 to date) in service to over 76 million people and who build complete health workforce teams that can provide high-quality care and save lives no matter the challenge be it climate change, pandemics or basic needs.
Seed currently works in Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Sierra Leone and in partnership with the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Africa CDC, the COP Presidencies and many others.
World Health Organization Special Envoy
In June 2023, Dr. Kerry was appointed the Director General 's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health for the World Health Organization.
The role recognizes the growing importance of the global conversation on climate change and health and the need for urgent action. Already 7 million people die a year from air pollution, more than in the entire COVID pandemic and 1 in 4 deaths globally are attributable to a preventable environmental cause.
In this new role, Dr. Kerry will play a pivotal role to amplify the WHO’s high-level climate change and health agenda.
This role is highly informed by Dr. Kerry’s on-the-ground experience in her role as CEO of Seed Global Health, an organization that is being increasingly called upon by its Ministry of Health partners to engage in developing new climate-smart strategies for building the health workforce they need to withstand future shocks.
Global Health and Public Policy at the Department of Environmental Health
Dr. Kerry is the Director of Global Health and Climate Policy in the Department of Environmental Health. Joining the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Fall of 2024, she teaches on Climate, Health, and Public Policy.
Massachusetts General Hospital
At MGH, Dr. Kerry is a critical care trained physician. Her role as a physician provides an important reminder of the complexity of dignified and quality care that everyone deserves - regardless of background or means. In addition, she serves as a Director of the program in Global Health Policy the MGH Center of Global Health. Building on MGH’s 200 year commitment to education, knowledge generation and care, and driven by the belief that everyone, everywhere has a right to good health, the Center of Global Health partners with diverse communities to exchange life-saving ideas, catalyze scientific discoveries, deliver compassionate care, and train the next generation of leaders in global health.
We all can help in the face of this crisis
Climate Change and Health
The climate crisis is a health crisis. According to the WHO, one in four of the world’s deaths are from preventable environmental causes. Climate change is expected to contribute to an additional 250,000 deaths each year, many of which are preventable with timely and appropriate care.
Recent Media
BBC | September 2025
Dr. Kerry defends why climate change is not the greatest hoax as stated at UN General Assembly Watch here
Politico| April 2025
Dr. Kerry shares why addressing climate and health is an economic imperative. Watch here
STAT News | November 2024
Dr. Kerry is interviewed by Nicholas St Fleur of STAT News and shares why climate change is our greatest threat and the ways we can respond better to protect our security and well being. Read here
JAMA | September 2023
Dr. Kerry is profiled and shares why climate change is our greatest health threat. Read here
The Lancet | August 2023
Read Dr. Kerry's profile in The Lancet.
“We are facing a profoundly urgent time…Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity. And the way we experience that primarily and most intimately is through health. I think that we don’t do enough to acknowledge that as a global community or to recognise or remedy that."
For further media...
To see more of recent media or check out Seed Global Health
Recent Publications
Health Workforce as a Climate and Health Priority
With Jessica Clarke, Iris Blom and Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
Climate change is escalating the demand on health workers and health systems to deliver the entire range of essential public health functions. We examine how the health workforce is incorporated into NDCs and provide recommendations for strengthening their inclusion. We hope that this analysis will aid countries in preparing their updated NDCs for 2025 and beyond.
Climate Action is Pandemic Resilience | BMJ | January 2025
With Priya Basu, Executive Director of the Pandemic Fund
Experts predict there is at least a 50% chance of another covid-like pandemic occurring in the next 25 years, and this risk is exacerbated by climate change
Addressing the unmet need: US leadership on climate and health | Lancet | Dec 2024
With Drs. Megan Ranney and Andrea Baccarelli, Dr. Kerry
describes the critical opportunity for U.S. leadership to advance robust global public health systems that can meet the health challenges escalating from climate change. The article outlines critical investments for the incoming Administration and policy makers to address the health crisis from climate change... Read more
More....
To read more in the interim, check out publications as well as media at Seed Global Health
Speeches and Events (available online)
Historical: Opening Speech for Reaching the Last Mile Forum | COP28 | December 3, 2023
Historical: The Vision for Seed | TedX Boston | June 12, 2013
Watch here now
More posting soon...
For further examples, please visit Seed Global Health
Initiatives and communities
Frontline Health Care Workers Coalition
FHCW Coalition believses that every community should have access to health workers trained and supported to provide all essential health services and to prevent, detect, and respond to new and emerging health threats.
Young Global Leaders (Alum) | World Economic Forum
The mission of the Forum of Young Global Leaders is to create a dynamic global community of exceptional people with the vision, courage and influence to drive positive change in the world.
Draper Richard Kaplan Social Entrepreneur (Alum)
The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation is a global venture philanthropy firm supporting early stage, high impact social enterprises. We believe that with early funding and rigorous support, exceptional leaders, tackling some of society’s most complex problems, can make the world a better place.