Dr. John W. Ward created and directs the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination of the Task Force for Global Health. Modelled after other Task Force programs to eliminate disease, the Coalition is a community of practice strengthening the capacity of national and sub-national hepatitis elimination programs through funding, advocacy, technical assistance, operational research and monitoring progress toward hepatitis elimination in >190 countries. Globally, Dr. Ward is an advisor to African Union Hepatitis Technical Working Group, and WHO including the PAHO technical advisory committee on disease elimination and the WPRO Hepatitis B Expert Resource Panel. Dr. Ward chairs the AASLD Task Force for Hepatitis Elimination. Over a 13-year tenure, Dr. Ward directed the US CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis with responsibilities for viral hepatitis surveillance, prevention, and research. At the national level, Dr. Ward developed recommendations for hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis B and hepatitis C screening, authored the first action plan for viral hepatitis prevention. Dr. Ward initiated the US Academies of Sciences recommendations for viral hepatitis elimination and guided the launch of pioneer HCV elimination programs. Earlier Dr. Ward was Editor of the CDC MMWR and assisted in the CDC response to large outbreaks including SARS and the anthrax attacks after 9/11. As a medical epidemiologist in the CDC HIV/AIDS program, Dr. Ward identified new routes of HIV transmission, evaluated the first HIV tests to protect the nation’s blood supply and led national HIV/AIDS surveillance. Dr. Ward has authored over 150 publications of scientific work in viral hepatitis and HIV and edited Silent Victories, a history of public health in the 20th Century published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Ward received his medical training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Ward is a Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta.