SCbio, and other healthcare and life sciences leaders, joined the United Nations Foundation to highlight South Carolina’s distinct contributions to global health during the Foundation’s Global Health Celebration on Wednesday in Columbia.
Throughout August, the Foundation will showcase the vital importance of U.S. leadership in global health programs, sharing how these global investments drive local innovation and foster economic vitality within specific states and districts.
The event began with a dedication to Senator Lindsey Graham, who served South Carolina in Congress from 2002 until his passing in July 2026.
Representative Joe Wilson was recognized for his steadfast support for global polio eradication and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the largest purchaser of U.S.-produced vaccines, which helps vaccinate over 50% of children worldwide.
James Chappell, Ph.D., President and CEO of SCbio, thanked Rep. Wilson for his service and explained the importance of his support of healthcare initiatives and programs. “That type of work and support is so important for the life sciences industry I represent in South Carolina. We know that before a treatment reaches those patients, someone has to do the research. Someone has to discover it. Someone has to commercialize it. Someone has to manufacture. What I’m most excited about is that someone, more and more, is right here in South Carolina.”
Deputy Secretary of the S.C. Department of Commerce Ashely Teasdel emphasized the large role the South Carolina life sciences industry serves in the intersection of healthcare and global health, where innovation translates into new treatments and medical technologies for patients.
“We’re seeing a thriving and growing sector of the life sciences across the state,” said Teasdel. “What that translates to is our commitment to our mission every single day, which is to create economic opportunities and choices for our South Carolinians.”
Jody Chastain, president and CEO of The Ritedose Corporation, a leading Blow-Fill-Seal CDMO for generic pharmaceuticals, shared how patients in 13 countries are being impacted by products manufactured at the Richland County facility.
“When I think about the globalization effort on the eradication of disease through vaccines and biologics, Ritedose is here in Columbia, South Carolina. And we should have an immense impact on the world.”
The United Nations Foundation has built novel innovations and partnerships to support the United Nations and help solve global problems at scale for over 25 years. As an independent charitable organization, the Foundation was created to work closely with the United Nations to address humanity’s greatest challenges and drive global progress.
About SCbio
SCbio is the definitive, unifying leader in South Carolina’s life sciences sector, fostering authentic collaboration and innovation across academia, startups, government and established enterprises. As a member-driven economic development organization, SCbio represents an industry that generates $20.1 billion in annual economic impact and supports 63,000 jobs across South Carolina. Our members are unified by a mission to positively impact humanity through science across the ecosystem of advanced and specialty manufacturing; digital health and the data frontier; and cutting-edge health specializations. For additional information about SCbio and the life sciences industry, or to become a member, visit SCbio.org.