Le professeur Michel Kazatchkine, immunologiste, chercheur et clinicien, a été nommé directeur exécutif du Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida , la tuberculose et le paludisme, a annoncé jeudi l’organisme international.
Actuellement ambassadeur de France chargé de la lutte contre le VIH /SIDA et les maladies transmissibles, ancien directeur de l’Agence française de lutte contre le sida , la deuxième plus grande agence de recherche au monde, et vice président du Conseil d’administration du Fonds mondial jusqu’en 2006, le professeur Kazatchkine remplacera le britannique Richard Feachem, dont le mandat de cinq ans expirera en mars, a précisé le Fonds mondial dans un communiqué.
« Je suis ravi que Michel Kazatchkine ait été choisi pour me succéder », a dit Richard Feachem, premier directeur de l’organisme international de financement de la lutte contre les trois épidémies créé en 2002. « Sous [sa] direction, le Fonds mondial est dans d’excellentes mains, et ses activités salvatrices continueront à se développer. »
Philippe Douste-Blazy, ministre français des Affaires étrangères, a estimé qu’en « élisant à sa tête le professeur Kazatchkine, le Fonds mondial [a] reconnu la contribution éminente du médecin, du chercheur, de l’administrateur et du diplomate à la lutte contre les grandes pandémies que sont le sida , la tuberculose et le paludisme » au cours des 20 dernières années.
Avec 450 programmes dans 136 pays et un engagement financier de sept milliards de dollars depuis sa création, le Fonds mondial est devenu « la plus grande institution internationale de financement de programmes contre la tuberculose et le paludisme » et l’un des trois plus importants bailleurs de fonds mondiaux de programmes contre le VIH /SIDA , selon le Fonds mondial.
Les trois épidémies tuent plus de six millions de personnes chaque année, selon les Nations unies. L’Afrique subsaharienne, la région du monde la plus touchée, reçoit 60 pour cent des financements du Fonds mondial : en décembre 2006, 770 000 personnes vivant avec le VIH étaient sous traitement antirétroviral dans le cadre des programmes financés par l’institution.
8 February 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : PROFESSOR MICHEL KAZATCHKINE SELECTED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBAL FUND
Geneva - 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
for more than 20 years and led the world’s second-largest AIDS
research agency. He currently serves as France’s Ambassador for
HIV/AIDS and Communicable Diseases. Professor Kazatchkine is a former
Vice Chair of the Global Fund Board and first Chair of the Global
Fund’s Technical Review Panel, which assesses the quality of grant
proposals.
"The Vice Chair of the Board, Dr Lieve Fransen , and I are very
pleased to welcome Professor Kazatchkine, an accomplished Global
Health specialist, as the new Executive Director-designate of the
Global Fund," said Dr Carol Jacobs Chair of the Board of the Global
Fund. "This is a new period in the life of the Global Fund and we are
indeed fortunate to have Professor Kazatchkine lead the Secretariat
at the start of the Fund’s second five year cycle. He has a right
blend of skills and experience needed to manage this unique financial
institution".
"I am delighted by the choice of Michel Kazatchkine as my successor,"
said Professor Richard Feachem. "I look forward to handing over a
strong institution that is positively impacting tens of millions of
lives in 136 countries. Under Dr Kazatchkine’s leadership the Global
Fund is in excellent hands and its life saving work will continue to
expand."
In just five years, the Global Fund has become a leading force in the
fight against the three diseases. It provides two-thirds of
international funding for the fight against malaria and TB, and 20
percent of the global funding to fight AIDS. With 450 programs in
136 countries Professor Kazatchkine will lead the largest
international financier of TB and malaria programs and one of the
three largest funders of HIV/AIDS programs in the world.
The Global Fund has approved grants for 450 programs in 136 countries
with a total commitment of US$ 7 billion. As of December 2006,
770,000 people have begun antiretroviral (ARV ) treatment through
Global Fund-supported programs and nearly 18 million insecticide-
treated bed nets have been distributed to prevent malaria. In
addition, tuberculosis programs have detected and treated 2 million
TB cases under DOTS, the internationally-approved TB control strategy.
The Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership
dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to
prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This
partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector
and affected communities represents a new approach to international
health financing. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with
other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing
efforts dealing with the three diseases.
Further information, please contact :
Jon Lidén - Head of Communications (The Global Fund)
Office : +41 22 791 17 23
Mobile : + 41 79 244 60 06
jon.liden@theglobalfund.org
Seth Amgott
Mobile : + 1 202 415 2625
seth@amgottmitchell.com
Amanda Mitchell
Office : +1 347 721 3010
Mobile : + 1 917 250 1175
amanda@amgottmitchell.com
Nicolas Demey - Communications Officer (The Global Fund)
Office : +41 22 791 59 57
Mobile : + 41 76 436 43 20
nicolas.demey@theglobalfund.org
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Information on the work of the Global Fund is available at :
www.theglobalfund.org and on www.jointheglobalfund.org