The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Friday that its Board has selected Rwandan national Donald Kaberuka as its next Board Chairperson.

The Fund, which is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the three diseases, has also appointed Roslyn Morauta as its next Vice Chair of the board.

The organisation said in a statement that Dr Kaberuka and Morauta will bring "an exceptional level of leadership and international experience” to the Board.

Dr Kaberuka was president of the African Development Bank and Chairman of its Board of Directors from 2005-2015, and previously served as the finance minister of Rwanda from 1997-2005.

"The Global Fund is an extraordinary partnership, which has made a difference to humanity over the last two decades,” he said about the Fund.

He added: "It is now time to face emerging issues and sustain the achievements. I look forward to working with the Board and staff to get to the next level. Ending these three epidemics is a fight of our time and the Global Fund has shown that it is possible”.

In Rwanda, the Fund has so far invested over $1.3 billion in more than 15 years it has been supporting the country’s health sector.

Thanks to support from Global Fund and other partners, Rwanda has made tremendous strides in the fight against infectious diseases such as HIV, TB and malaria, as well as improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.

Kaberuka’s deputy, Roslyn Morauta, has a long association with the Global Fund having served as Chair of the Papua New Guinea Country Coordinating Mechanism.

From her time as First Lady of Papua New Guinea, she has steadily championed health, HIV programmes and gender issues, the Fund said in a release.

"The Global Fund can provide tremendous support, and I know firsthand what a difference it can make,” she said.

She added: "There is no time to lose with such an ambitious agenda.”

Kaberuka and Morauta were selected by the Global Fund Board following a six-month search to identify the best leadership pair for the Global Fund. The process was led by the Board’s Leadership Nominations Committee, and the Board finalised its vote to approve the two on May 2, 2019.

Their two-year term is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2019, at the close of the Board’s 41st meeting.

They will replace Aida Kurtovic and John Simon, who have served as Board Chair and Vice Chair since 2017.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com