Global Fund Selects Roslyn Morauta as Board Chair and Bience Gawanas as Vice-Chair

World Fund Selects Roslyn Morauta as Board Chair and Bience Gawanas as Vice-Chair

21 April 2023

GENEVA – The World Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria introduced its Board has chosen Woman Roslyn Morauta as Chair and Bience Gawanas as Vice-Chair, bringing two ladies with an distinctive degree of management and worldwide experience to the governance of the World Fund.

Woman Morauta has deep expertise with the World Fund for a few years and from a number of sides: Along with serving as Vice-Chair of the Board for the final 4 years, she has additionally represented the Western Pacific Area constituency as Alternate Board Member and served as Chair of the Papua New Guinea Nation Coordinating Mechanism. She has been a long-standing and steadfast champion of well being, HIV applications and gender points.

“The World Fund has an distinctive governance mannequin in that affected communities sit on the Board desk alongside governments, non-public sector, civil society and different stakeholders. It ensures we make the very best decisions for these affected by the ailments we try to finish,” mentioned Woman Roslyn Morauta, newly chosen Chair of the World Fund Board. “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to characterize the World Fund as Vice-Chair since 2019, and I’m deeply grateful for the belief positioned in me to proceed my service now as Board Chair.”

Woman Morauta is a long-standing champion of fine governance and well being, particularly within the battle towards HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. She is a relentless advocate of the World Fund’s core values, particularly on gender equality and human rights, and works intently with civil society organizations. As Vice-Chair of the Board, she prioritized excessive governance requirements and inclusivity for all Board members, together with the voice of communities affected by the illness.

Bience Gawanas is an skilled political and improvement coverage chief. Her profession consists of distinguished worldwide and home positions, together with serving because the African Union’s first Commissioner for Social Affairs and United Nations Beneath-Secretary Normal and Particular Advisor for Africa. She has a protracted monitor report of championing each international public well being causes and the rights of marginalized populations and civil society, mixed with substantial expertise in advanced governance environments.  

“The World Fund is a unprecedented partnership, which has saved 50 million individuals over the past 20 years and has made an amazing distinction to humanity,” mentioned Bience Gawanas, newly chosen Vice-Chair of the World Fund Board. “I’m grateful for the chance to be a part of this battle to make sure everybody, in all places has the appropriate to entry the healthcare they want.”

Ms. Gawanas is called a “bridgebuilder” and connector in establishments. She has greater than 30 years’ expertise dedicated to social justice, gender equality, ladies’s empowerment, human rights and good governance. The New African Publication named her one of many 100 most influential Africans.

On 11 Could, on the finish of the forty ninth World Fund Board Assembly in Viet Nam, Dr. Donald Kaberuka will conclude his time period as Board Chair, and Woman Morauta and Ms. Gawanas will start their three-year phrases as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively.

Dr. Kaberuka and Woman Morauta had been chosen as Board Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, in 2019 for a two-year time period, which was prolonged for a yr in 2021 and for one more yr in 2022. The Board management time period has now been prolonged to 3 years.

“It has been an amazing alternative to function Board Chair via a few of the most difficult instances in our efforts to finish AIDS, TB and malaria as public well being threats,” mentioned Dr. Donald Kaberuka, outgoing World Fund Board Chair. “There are very troublesome days forward. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a altering local weather, rising prices and the rising variety of conflicts will make this work extra advanced than ever earlier than. However the power and dedication of the World Fund partnership is unparalleled, and beneath the management of Woman Roslyn and Bience, I’m assured they are going to succeed.”

Woman Morauta and Ms. Gawanas had been chosen by the World Fund Board following a competency-based choice course of that was designed to establish the very best management pair for the World Fund. The method was led by a Nomination Committee appointed by the Board, and the total Board finalized its vote to approve the brand new Chair and Vice-Chair on 20 April 2023.

Biography, incoming Chair 

Woman Roslyn Morauta took workplace as Vice-Chair of the World Fund Board in Could 2019.

She has lived and labored in Papua New Guinea since 1982. Previous to that, she labored in publishing within the UK, taught politics at universities in Ghana and Australia, and was an Australian public servant.

In Papua New Guinea she has labored for the Nationwide Planning Workplace and the Division of Finance and Treasury (via the United Nations Improvement Programme), undertaken consultancy administration with Coopers & Lybrand, and now acts as supervisor of Morauta household enterprise pursuits.

As First Woman of Papua New Guinea from 1999-2002, she championed points on well being, HIV, and gender, and has continued this work since.

Woman Morauta has a protracted affiliation with the World Fund, having beforehand served because the Alternate Board Member for the Western Pacific Area constituency and as Chair of the Papua New Guinea Nation Coordinating Mechanism. Her position within the Nation Coordinating Mechanism has given her an in depth understanding of World Fund methods and processes, the working of the Secretariat, and the sensible implementation of grants at nation degree.

She additionally serves on the boards of Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), Anglicare (PNG), and Pacific Associates of World Well being. Different board and committee memberships have included the PNG Nationwide AIDS Council, the Asia-Pacific Management Discussion board on HIV/AIDS and the PNG Alliance of Civil Society Organizations Towards HIV/AIDS.

Biography, incoming Vice-Chair

Bience Gawanas’ profession spans a broad vary of senior management positions in Namibia, Africa and internationally.

A lawyer by coaching, she served as a Public Service Commissioner and was the primary Ombudswoman for Namibia post-independence and was subsequently appointed by the African Union’s Meeting of Heads of State and Authorities as the primary Commissioner for Social Affairs. Following her service as Particular Advisor to the Namibian Minister of Well being and Social Companies, in addition to the Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, she most lately served because the United Nations Beneath-Secretary Normal and Particular Advisor for Africa.

Bience Gawanas has been invited to serve on a number of private and non-private boards, taskforces, and commissions, together with as a Member of the World Preparedness Monitoring Board. She can also be at present a Member of the IPPF Board of Trustees and its Chairperson for the Board Sub-Committee on anti-racism in addition to a board member of the European Centre for Improvement and Coverage Administration (ECDPM).

All through her profession, Bience Gawanas has championed the rights of marginalized populations and has been a robust advocate for social justice and international public well being, together with the rights of girls and kids. Amongst different honors, she has been named amongst the 100 most influential Africans by the New African Publication and acquired the IPPF award for many excellent contribution on sexual and reproductive well being and rights.

Bience Gawanas holds an LLB Honours diploma from the College of Warwick and an Utter Barrister diploma from the Council of Authorized Training Faculty of Regulation/Lincoln’s Inn, UK. She additionally holds an Govt MBA from the College of Cape City, South Africa, and an honorary Doctorate diploma in legislation from the College of Western Cape. She was referred to as to the English Bar and likewise admitted to the Excessive Courtroom of Namibia.