Spotlight A beacon of hope for Africa: Elizabeth Mataka appointed Special Envoy for AIDS Father Michael J. Kelly, Zambia An article from the HDN Key Correspondent Team 1 June 2007 Send Comment The recent appointment of Elizabeth Mataka as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's new Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa is a first in many ways. Elizabeth Mataka is the first African to be appointed as a Special Envoy. She is the

Looking Back More trust needed on shared health goals Tim France, Thailand An article from the HDN Key Correspondent Team 12 February 2007 Send Comment Despite unprecedented investment in international health programmes, seven specific diseases still claim one in every four deaths worldwide. There has never been a more acute need or opportunity for the World Health Organization (WHO) to do its job. To do so, the agency must achieve an

Statement: New international community of young people living with HIV launched Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS GYCA launches 'Living Positively' (7 February, 2007) "The day I found out my status was one of the toughest days of my life. However, my family and friends were very supportive and I am now doing the things I have always wanted to do, living a much healthier life and looking after my body. Being positive has changed me into the person I

News: Professor Michel Kazatchkine selected as Executive Director of the Global Fund Global Fund release * (8 February 2007) The Board of the Global Fund has chosen Michel Kazatchkine, a physician and global health expert, as the next Executive Director of the Global Fund. He replaces Sir Richard Feachem, the founding Executive Director, who steps down at the end of his five-year term on March 31. Professor Kazatchkine is a physician who has treated people with AIDS

Benchmark Piot: United Nations reform and the response to HIV Ian Hodgson, UK An article from the HDN Key Correspondent Team 7 February 2007 Send Comment During a visit to Dublin last week, the head of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Dr Peter Piot, shared some of his thoughts about reform of the UN and how the UNAIDS family are working together. Piot never saw himself as a United Nations (UN) bureaucrat. Hi

Comment: Support letter for Michel Kazatchkine Mauro Guarinieri et al Dear all, Find below the letter of support to Michel Kazatchkine that was sent by networks and NGOs of the "north"/"west"/Europe to the board members of the Global Fund. Mauro Mauro Guarinieri Email: mauro_guarinieri@yahoo.it - letter follows - 6 February 2007 Dear Board Members and Delegations to the Board, With the international community stepping up its efforts i

Perspective: An Overdue Conversation Serra Sippel (6 February 2007) Dear Friends, Below is a blog post on issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights related to programs addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children and youth, written by CHANGE Deputy Director Serra Sippel, with extensive research input from Lauren Sisson, an excellent new Program Associate on our staff. We thought you might like to read this piece, which will be followed by another

Spotlight UNAIDS chief praises Irish commitment on AIDS Ian Hodgson, UK An article from the HDN Key Correspondent Team Send Comment The visit to Dublin last week by the head of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Dr Peter Piot, reaffirmed the key role Ireland plays in global initiatives aimed at tackling the HIV epidemic. With clear targets laid out for reaching the 0.7% GNI target commitment for Irish overseas deve

News: UN reports progress in ending mother-infant HIV transmission but urges more action UN News Centre 16 January 2007 * Although some countries have achieved breakthroughs in preventing HIV transmission from mothers to children and providing treatment for children living with HIV/AIDS, an "unconscionably" low percentage of pregnant women with HIV are receiving the necessary treatment, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today. In a report entitled "Children

Comment: Integration and chronic conditions on the WHO agenda Tim France, Thailand (22 January 2007) Is jumping in at the deep end really the best way to learn? Dr Margaret Chan should know, as less than three weeks in new job as WHO Director-General she opens her first meeting of WHO's Executive Board (http://www.who.int/governance/eb/en/index.html) today in Geneva. In what she referred to as "optimistic times for health" she gave some clues about how her priori

Perspective: New Congress Can Save Lives, or Money By Desmond Tutu, The Washington Post 15 January 2007 [Mods note: Further to a recent civil-society led sign-on campaign urging the US Congress to consider a Continuing Resolution to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 appropriations bills that includes increased funding for global AIDS, TB and malaria programs, Bishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, calls for continued U.S. leadership to fight the global AIDS e

Mods' note: This posting refers to the MSF press release posted yesterday on the Stop TB eForum: "Tuberculosis Experts Outline Proposals to Speed Up Drug Development", available at http://www.healthdev.org/viewmsg.aspx?msgid=a086bf68-23d5-4a01-8e3a-92944a7a4265 ] Comment: Support growing for new global drug R&D framework Tim France, Thailand Momentum is increasing behind a proposed global framework for drug research and development (R&D) that aims to share the benef

Comment: List of new Global Fund head nominees leaked (1) Daraus Bukenya, Tanzania * [Mods note: This member is responding to the Boston Globe article posting, which published the first list of nine candidates short-listed to head the Global Fund (based on a document leaked to the newspaper). Members can find the posting at http://www.healthdev.org/viewmsg.aspx?msgid=ba7098c7-08b1-4400-81e5-3ba03ee4020c on the forum archives.] * I surel

News: Dr Chan names new Deputy-Director General for the World Health Organization World Health Organization (WHO) 9 January 2007 GENEVA Today, Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, names Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah as WHO's Deputy-Director General. Dr Asamoa-Baah, a national from Ghana, will take up duties immediately. Dr Asamoa-Baah has held senior positions at the Organization since 1998. He began his career at WHO as a senior policy adviso

Comment: List of new Global Fund head nominees leaked BTS eForum Team * Following the disappointing failure of the Global Fund Board to select a new Executive Director for the fund late last year, a panel has apparently narrowed the re-run for the job down to a first short-list of nine candidates. According to a document leaked to the Boston Globe newspaper, and published yesterday (see below), the one woman and eight men are: - Julio Frenk, Mexico's former health minis

Perspective: Concern over oil firms' aid links with Bill Gates By Catherine Elsworth, Telegraph.co.uk 8 January 2007 * The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing in companies that could be causing ailments in the very people it helps to treat in the developing world, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times. [Mods note: The "Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation" Los Angeles Times investigative piece (07/01/07) is available at: http://www.latime

Action: Invitation to join the GBV-HIV-AIDS listserve The ATHENA Network * Dear colleagues: We invite your participation in an open, growing listserve whose purpose is to bring together diverse communities and sectors who are working to end the twin epidemics of gender-based violence and HIV. We currently have active participation from the reproductive and sexual health community; the sex worker rights community; the human rights community; the community of women liv

Q&A: Interview on taking office as Director-General (Dr Margaret Chan of WHO) world Health Organization (WHO) 4 January 2007 As she prepared to take office as WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan in an interview reflected on her priorities, her new responsibilities and on the challenges that lie ahead. 1. What are your priorities as you take office? I have identified six core areas for the Organization in the years ahead: development for health, health security, hea

Action: Organizational Sign-On for Increased Funding on Global AIDS, TB, & Malaria Paul Zeitz, USA In the near future, the US Congress will consider a Continuing Resolution to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 appropriations bills, including funding for global AIDS, TB and malaria programs. In an effort to ensure that these programs remain a priority, below is a sign-on letter urging support for the Senate level of $4.36 billion for these programs, including $700 million

Press Release: Dr Margaret Chan takes office as Director-General of the World Health Organization World Health Organization (WHO) 4 January 2007 * Impact on health of women and people in Africa to be measure of success GENEVA Dr Margaret Chan of China today took office as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) following her election in November. She pledged that her term of office and the effectiveness of the Organization would be judged by the impact t