GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has appointed Kate Thomson, a leader in global health and development with nearly 30 years of AIDS activism, as Head of the Critical Enablers and Civil Society hub, a new position that underlines the Global Fund’s strengthened efforts to promote human rights and deeper partnership with civil society.
Thomson, who joins the Global Fund from UNAIDS, brings extensive experience in policy and advocacy, having worked within civil society organizations and multilateral institutions with a particular emphasis on people living with HIV and communities at higher risk.
“Kate is a passionate leader with unrivalled expertise and commitment,” said Marijke Wijnroks, Chief of Staff of the Global Fund. “No one is better suited than Kate to help lead the Global Fund’s drive for effective responses that are grounded in human rights and centered on communities.”
Osamu Kunii, Head of the Strategy, Investment and Impact division, said that the agreement by UNAIDS to release Thomson for an extended period reflects the close partnership, collaboration and commitment between the two organizations.
“Kate brings tremendous experience to our team,” said Osamu Kunii, Head of the Strategy, Investment and Impact Division. “We’re very grateful that she was able to join us.”
Thomson joined UNAIDS in 2005 and as Chief of Community Mobilization she guided their work with civil society, brokering partnerships to promote and enhance the role of communities and strengthen the AIDS response in countries and globally. Her work entailed close collaboration with the Global Fund, as well as multilateral and bilateral partners, and a broad and diverse range of civil society organizations, from grass-roots groups to large international non-governmental organizations. Thomson previously worked for the Global Fund from 2002-2004 as Manager of Civil Society Relations, and was one of its first employees.
Her work in community mobilization began in the 1980s when Thomson helped establish Positively Women, the first organization of women living with HIV in the UK and one of the first globally. She subsequently played a role in the creation of a number of other global, regional and country-level networks of people living with and highly impacted by HIV. She has a master’s degree in English from Goldsmith College, London.
#####
The Global Fund is an international financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach relies on country ownership and performance-based funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where verifiable results are achieved.
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has supported more than 1,000 programs in more than 140 countries, providing AIDS treatment for 5.3 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 11 million people and 340 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing with the three diseases.
