A message from the Chair of The Partnership's Board
Dear colleagues,
As I announced at our last Partnership Board meeting in Dar es Salaam, I will be stepping down as the Chair of the Board towards the end of the year, when I also complete my assignment with UNICEF.
It gives me enormous pleasure to announce that our dear colleague Ms Joy Phumaphi has been elected as the new Chair of the Board. As you know, Joy is currently Vice President and Head of the Human Development Network at The World Bank. She will assume the Chairmanship of the Board at our next meeting in Addis Ababa starting December 2, 2007.
Ms Phumaphi has served at The World Bank since February 2006. Prior to the World Bank, she held the position of Assistant Director General of the World Health Organization's Family and Community Health Cluster. Previously she served as Botswana's Minister of Health, heading her country's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis from 1999 to 2003. During her term as Minister of Health of Botswana, she served as a member of the African Advisory Group for the UNDP Africa program, and UNICEF's program on orphans and children in difficult circumstances. Mrs. Phumaphi earned global acclaim for addressing HIV/AIDS not only as a health issue, but also as a challenge with political and development consequences for the country, for communities, families and individuals. She is also an HIV/AIDS commissioner appointed by the UN Secretary General, and served as the President's deputy on Botswana's National AIDS Council. Prior to her work in public health, Mrs. Phumaphi entered Cabinet with responsibilities for lands and housing and developed the first national housing policy.
Ms Phumaphi holds a Master of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from Miami University, Ohio.
Ms Phumaphi brings a wealth of experience and creative energy to the work of the Board. She understands partnerships and how they can work to improve the health of mothers, newborn and children. I am fully confident the Partnership will be well served during Mrs. Phumaphi's Chairship and I wish Board colleagues hearty congratulations for having elected (by acclamation!) a most deserving and inspiring leader.
Let me also take the occasion to express my gratitude to all members of the Board for your support and solidarity during the term of my chairmanship of the Board. I am proud that together we have put the Partnership, and the concept of the “continuum of care” firmly on the world’s health and development agenda.
With warm wishes,
Kul C.Gautam Chair, The Partnership