Secretary Thompson Elected Global Fund Board Chairman
The Global Fund today announced that its Board elected
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson as its Chair. He will succeed
Dr Chrispus Kiyonga of Uganda. Secretary Thompson was elected
by consensus of the Fund's Board, which includes donor and recipient
governments, as well as NGOs, foundations and the private sector.
Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the
Thailand Ministry of Public Health, was elected as Vice Chair.
He will succeed Mr Seiji Morimoto of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Japan.
The positions of both Chair and Vice Chair of the Board came up
for re-election with the expiry of the terms of both officials.
Both Dr Kiyonga and Mr Morimoto will retain their seats on the
Board.
Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "It is a privilege to be selected
to serve as Chair of the Board of the Global Fund. I look forward
to being actively engaged at Board meetings as we work together
as responsible stewards of the generous resources entrusted to
us. As President Bush made clear in his address to the American
people on Tuesday evening, the United States of America is committed
to the fight against global AIDS. We are proud to partner with
the Global Fund, with our allies, and with every man, woman and
child on this planet as we seek to end this plague."