United States Global AIDS Coordinator

John N. Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

The United States Global AIDS Coordinator is a position within the United States Department of State responsible for overseeing and coordinating the U.S. government's response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The office is officially known as the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (OGAC).

History[edit | edit source]

The position was established in 2003 by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an initiative launched by President George W. Bush to combat the global HIV/AIDS crisis. The first Global AIDS Coordinator was Randall L. Tobias, who served from 2003 to 2006.

Responsibilities[edit | edit source]

The Global AIDS Coordinator is tasked with:

Leading the implementation of PEPFAR.
Coordinating the efforts of various U.S. government agencies involved in the global HIV/AIDS response.
Ensuring that U.S. efforts are aligned with international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Managing the allocation of funds appropriated by the United States Congress for global HIV/AIDS programs.

Key Initiatives[edit | edit source]

PEPFAR is the cornerstone of the Global AIDS Coordinator's work. It focuses on:

Providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) to millions of people living with HIV.
Preventing new HIV infections through various interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).
Supporting orphaned and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Strengthening health systems in partner countries to improve the overall response to HIV/AIDS.

Notable Global AIDS Coordinators[edit | edit source]

Randall L. Tobias (2003-2006)
Mark R. Dybul (2006-2009)
Eric Goosby (2009-2013)
Deborah L. Birx (2014-2020)
John Nkengasong (2022-present)

Impact[edit | edit source]

Since its inception, PEPFAR has been credited with saving millions of lives and significantly reducing the global HIV/AIDS burden. The program has provided ART to over 20 million people and has been instrumental in preventing millions of new infections.

Related Pages[edit | edit source]

This United States government–related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.