I am
delighted to share that US Ambassador Mark Dybul, former leader of the US
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has been announced as the
next Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria. Mark is an inspiring choice by the Global Fund’s Board of Directors. I
have believed in his candidacy for this position since the outset, and have
great faith in what he can bring to one of global health’s most vital institutions.
Mark
has long understood that global health must fundamentally be about equity and
the fulfillment of the human right to health – not simply about addressing
infectious diseases in far-off places. During his work to launch and expand
PEPFAR, he demonstrated time and again that he believes in a person-centered
approach to health care delivery and that he knows how to build strong systems
that do not leave any among the most vulnerable out of benefits. Mark’s
leadership in the global HIV/AIDS response helped to set a new paradigm for
global health partnership, transitioning the world towards a long-term approach
to tackling the most deadly pandemic in centuries while strengthening systems
that have increased access to primary and specialty care for a wide range of
diseases.
I am
hopeful that Mark’s appointment to lead the Global Fund will help to usher in a
new era of results-oriented programming that builds on the legacy of his
predecessors, Michel Kazatchkine and Gabriel Jaramillo, while ensuring that the
Fund stays true to its roots as an instrument truly of the people. I look
forward to fruitful future collaborations with Mark and the Global Fund, and believe
that the time for an integrated, solidarity-driven, and country-owned response
to global health challenges is within our grasp. There is much work ahead, but
the future is bright. Congratulations, Mark!
