As reported in the GFO Discussion Forum on 15 January, the Selection Committee established to choose three NGO board delegates to the Global Fund Board has announced its choices. They are:

• NGO Member from a Developed Country (2-year term of office): Hélène Rossert, MD MPH (hrossert@aides.org)Hélène Rossert, a medical and public health doctor, is the Director General of the French NGO AIDES, one of the largest community-based NGOs fighting AIDS in Europe. Her expertise includes community health, fighting against HIV/AIDS, developing countries and political advocacy. Dr. Rossert has fostered the development of AIDES’ international programmes in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Cuba. She has been published in a variety of publications, and has edited newsletters and booklets by AIDES for people living with HIV, including “How African NGOs Are Fighting AIDS.”
• NGO Alternate from a Developed Country (1-year term of office): Massimo Barra (mbarra@villamaraini.it)Massimo Barra has worked for 20 years in the Italian AIDS response. He is the founder and Director of “Villa Maraini,” an Italian Red Cross Foundation which has provided direct assistance to over 25,000 injecting drug users (IDUs). He has been an active participant in most major AIDS-related conferences. Through his international volunteer work with Red Cross Red Crescent and his participation in their HIV/AIDS Governance Group, Mr. Barra has worked for the development of policies and strategies to ensure a scaled up response that would have people living with HIV/AIDS at the centre.
• Alternate from a Community of people living with HIV/TB/Malaria (2-year term of office): Rodrigo Pascal (rpascal@vivopositivo.org)Rodrigo Pascal is a founding member of Vivo Positivo, PWa’s National Network from Chile. He is the Executive Coordinator in charge of the organization’s sustainability and policy. As Coordinator he was instrumental in various initiatives including the HIV/AIDS Prevention Law signed by the President of Chile in December 2001. Mr. Pascal is also a founding member of REDLA+ and PWa’s Latin American Network.

Details on the selection committee, methods, and criteria are available in www.aidspan.org/gfo/docs/gfo50.pdf

The new delegates will start their term of office in the course of the January 29-31 Board meeting.