This
week president Barack Obama nominated a prominent HIV/AIDS expert to be United
States global Aids coordinator. Dr Eric Goosby is the chief executive officer
and chief medical officer of Pangaea global AIDS foundation. He was also
involved in the creation of Physicians for Human Rights’ Health Action AIDS campaign
in 2002 and has been an active advisor with the campaign since its inception.
Physicians
for Human Rights is an organization that mobilizes the health professions to
advance the health and dignity of all people by protecting human rights. Pat Daoust
is Physicians for Human Rights’ director
for health action Aids campaign.
From Cambridge Massachusetts she told VOA’s
Douglas Mpuga that they are very pleased with Dr. Goosby’s nomination and hope
for a quick confirmation so that he can begin his work.“We are extremely excited not only because Dr.
Goosby has been involved with PHR (Physicians for Human Rights) since the
beginning of our Health
Action AIDS campaign eight years ago but also because he brings a certain level
of expertise to the global aids initiative that the US has been supporting,”
she said. She
described Dr. Goosby as “a very unique individual with tremendous amount of
experience”.
Daoust
noted that Dr. Goosby has been doing HIV/AIDs work for over twenty years now;
first here in the US where he worked at San Francisco General hospital and more
recently he has been doing work internationally from China, to Eastern Europe to
Africa.
She
added, "he sees addressing the epidemic from a comprehensive integrated manner that
has to be done for any kind of sustained response. So his vision and his on-the-ground
experience is something that we really need right now as we go into the second
phase of the president’s response to AIDS”.
Daoust
also hailed Dr. Goosby’s knowledge on integration of health care. “He knows how
important it is to not only look at HIV but also tuberculosis (TB). And he also
understands from his first hand experience the importance of a strong health care
system; he looks at things very broadly, very comprehensively because he has
been on the ground”.
She said although funding
for the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been increased
the money has to be appropriated by congress and “we are a bit nervous simply
because of the economic downturn and hope the funding will not be decreased”.
Feedback
|
We'd like to hear what you have to say. Let us know what you think of
this report and other news and features on our website. Email your views
about what is happening in Africa to: africa@voanews.com. Please
include your name and phone number if you would like us to include your
comments on our programs. Or, telephone us and leave a message. In the US, call: (202) 205-9942.
After you hear the VOA greeting, press the number "30" and leave your opinion. We
may use it on our daily broadcasts.
|