Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Friends) welcomes Dr. Mark Dybul – former Executive Director of the Global Fund and incoming Professor of Medicine and Faculty Director of the new Center for Global Health and Quality at Georgetown University – to its Board of Directors. Dr. Dybul brings more than 25 years of HIV and public health experience as a clinician, scientist, teacher and administrator, and was a principal architect in the creation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under President George W. Bush.
In his new role as a Board Member of Friends, Dr. Dybul will help guide education and advocacy efforts for U.S. support of the Global Fund and its goal of ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Since 2002, more than 20 million lives have been saved through the Global Fund partnership. For every $100 million invested in the partnership, Global Fund-supported programs are projected to save 133,000 lives; avert 1.9 million new HIV, tuberculosis and malaria infections; and create $2.2 billion in long-term economic gains.
Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria advocates for U.S. support of the Global Fund, and the goal to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. For more information about Friends of the Global Fight, visit www.theglobalfight.org.
“Mark’s visionary leadership at the Global Fund drove results, accountability and innovation in global health,” said Chris Collins, President of Friends. “Mark is an outstanding researcher, program leader and advocate, and we very much look forward to working with him as Friends continues making the case for U.S. investment in the Global Fund’s lifesaving work.”
Dr. Dybul led remarkable progress at the Global Fund, including the transition to a new evidence-based funding model, which strategically invests resources to emphasize concrete results, and leverages domestic financing from implementing countries. He also oversaw the creation of wambo.org, an e-marketplace tool developed by the Global Fund to streamline procurement processes, optimize costs, and provide countries with access to affordable commodities to treat and prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
“Mark is a global leader in the field and we are fortunate to have him join the Board of Friends. He brings extraordinary energy, accomplishment and vision to global health advocacy, and there has never been a more important time to inspire strong U.S. investment in the fight against these epidemics,” said Jonathan Klein, Board Chair of Friends and Co-founder and Chairman of Getty Images. “His wealth of experience with the Global Fund and PEPFAR will reinforce Friends’ efforts to show how U.S. leadership in global health save lives, leverages the support of global partners, and advances security and prosperity across the globe.”
Prior to the Global Fund, Dr. Dybul served as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, where he led the implementation of PEPFAR. He also served as chair of the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS’ coordinating board and as a member of the board of trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
In addition, he led President Bush’s International Prevention of Mother and Child HIV initiative at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was the Co-Executive Secretary of the HHS HIV therapy guidelines for adults and adolescents, and was a member of the writing committee for the World Health Organization’s guidelines on the use of antiretroviral therapy. At HHS, Dr. Dybul also served at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health and was the principal investigator in basic and clinical research with a particular emphasis on HIV treatment in Africa.
“I’m very happy to join the Friends team as we reach a crucial time in the AIDS, TB and malaria fight,” Dr. Dybul said. “New and complicated challenges are arising as we gain ground against these epidemics. To build on our successes to date, it will be essential to continue steady investment — in tandem with ongoing innovation in partnerships, technology and programming — until we reach the finish line.”
