The largest global AIDS organization, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), recently announced that its chief of Global Affairs, Dr. Jorge Saavedra, was recently named co-chairman of the "Global Fund Reform Working Group,” a committee that will report to the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with its first reform proposal in May 2011.
The announcement of the appointment was made during Global Fund Board's 22nd Meeting from Dec. 13 to 15, in Sofia, Bulgaria. Each year, the Global Fund holds a meeting away from its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to offer delegates the opportunity to visit programs financed by the Global Fund. This was the first meeting held in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.
In a press release, AHF noted that the organization is proud about this prestigious appointment.
In addition, Dr. Natalia Nizova, head of the National AIDS Center of Ukraine, was named as a full member of the Working Group. AIDS Healthcare Foundation has worked closely with Dr. Nizova. The National AIDS Center of Ukraine is a key partner in Ukraine where AHF operates two free HIV/AIDS healthcare centers-in Odessa and Kiev.
AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 140,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe.
The president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Michael Weinstein, congratulated the new appointees.
“I am confident in the effectiveness of both of these respected leaders and want to wish them well in their efforts to ensure the sustainability of the Global Fund and, ultimately, to save even more lives,” Weinstein said in a statement.
“Thank you to the Board of the Global Fund for this honor, and to the Latin America and the Caribbean Constituency headed by Dr. Jose Izazola, for submitting my candidacy. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues on reform working group as we endeavor to identify the most productive changes that will ensure the best use of Global Fund dollars to help the most people in need around the world,” Dr. Saavedra said in a statement.
On the concluding day of the meeting, Global Fund Board of Directors approved 79 grants with a two-year commitment of US$1.7 billion. This was in response to the criticism by global nongovernmental organizations that some countries were being left out of the funding cycle.
According to a Global Fund press release, it is the 10th time the board has approved new proposals to support programs fighting the three diseases. The total approved funding for these ten rounds is US$21.7 billion for 150 countries since it was created in 2002.
AHF and the AHF Public Health Division recently announced through a media release, the hosting of a private screening and reception at the East/West Lounge in West Hollywood (8851 Santa Monica Blvd.) to celebrate the launch of the group's exciting new HIV awareness video series, "This is Me, Raw."
Madhubanti Rudra is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
