IntraHealth International is one of over 220 organizations in North Carolina that work to save lives and improve health in more than 185 countries. Photo by Georgina Goodwin for IntraHealth.

The global health sector in North Carolina contributed $3.7 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2015, or about $370 per person, according to a report released today by the Triangle Global Health Consortium and RTI International. This makes global health comparable to other major sectors in the state, the authors says, such as arts/entertainment/recreation and farming.

IntraHealth International is one of over 220 organizations in North Carolina that work to save lives and improve health in more than 185 countries. The state’s global health sector includes major universities, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, government agencies, and private-sector companies.

Congressman David E. Price, who represents the 4th district of North Carolina, moderated a panel during the release of the report today. He said, “The North Carolina global health sector has a strong humanitarian and economic impact. We have a powerful case to make for investing in global health.”

The report, The Global Health Sector's Contributions to the Economy of North Carolina, found that global health provides over 26,000 jobs in North Carolina, including over $1.6 billion in annual wages, salaries, and benefits. 

 “Many people in the US—and even those who live here—don’t realize that North Carolina is a hotbed of technical start-ups and biomedical breakthroughs, which makes it the perfect hub for global health and development,” says Pape Gaye, president and CEO of IntraHealth. “Most such work is in New York, Washington DC, Seattle. But North Carolina universities, nonprofits, and biomedical industries have produced innovation after innovation, which are helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.”

The global health sector also created an additional $182 million in state and local tax revenues for North Carolina in 2015 through work that ranges from addressing disease outbreaks such as Zika and Ebola to providing safe drinking water and sanitation in communities around the world.

“By working together, North Carolina organizations can build healthier communities and expand human progress, while also increasing stability, expanding democracy, creating new trade partners, and generating good will for both the state and the country,” authors of the report state. “This work produces significant benefits both globally and here in North Carolina.”

Read the full report: The Global Health Sector’s Contributions to the Economy of North Carolina

IntraHealth is a global health organization based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that has been working around the world to fight disease and expand access to high-quality health care since 1979. IntraHealth is a member of the Triangle Global Health Consortium and provided support for the production of the report.