Bill Jenkins (epidemiologist)

Bill Jenkins

Born	1945
Birth place	Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, United States
Died	February 17, 2019(2019-02-17) (aged 73–74)
Place of death	Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Nationality	American
Known for	Advocacy for Tuskegee Syphilis Study victims

Bill Jenkins (1945 – February 17, 2019) was a prominent epidemiologist and public health advocate known for his work in addressing racial health disparities and his efforts to end the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Jenkins was a dedicated public health official who worked tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of African Americans and other marginalized communities.

Early Life and Education

Bill Jenkins was born in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 1945. He attended Morehouse College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He later pursued a master's degree in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a Ph.D. in epidemiology.

Career

Jenkins began his career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 1960s. During his tenure at the CDC, he became aware of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a controversial and unethical study that withheld treatment from African American men with syphilis to study the progression of the disease. Jenkins was instrumental in bringing attention to the study and advocating for its termination, which eventually occurred in 1972.

After leaving the CDC, Jenkins continued his work in public health as a professor at Morehouse College and later at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He focused on training the next generation of public health professionals and conducting research on health disparities.

Advocacy and Impact

Jenkins was a vocal advocate for the victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and worked to ensure that such ethical violations would not occur again. He played a key role in the establishment of the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University.

His work extended beyond the Tuskegee study, as he was deeply involved in efforts to address health disparities affecting African Americans, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Legacy

Bill Jenkins is remembered as a pioneer in the field of public health who dedicated his life to fighting for justice and equality in healthcare. His contributions have had a lasting impact on the field of epidemiology and public health ethics.

Also see

• Tuskegee Syphilis Study
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Health disparities
• Bioethics