Welcome to Our New Board Member
Announcement: The Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Welcomes New Board Member
19 February, 2026 — The Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Board is pleased to announce that Catherine Connor has been appointed as the new Board Member for a two-year term. The new leadership is working closely with Vitaly Djuma, out-going Board Member, and Katy Kydd Wright, Alternate Board Member, to ensure a seamless transition.
Catherine Connor is the Senior Strategic Advisor of Partnerships and Stakeholder Relations at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation where she oversees a domestic and global HIV/AIDS policy portfolio. Her work focuses on improving global HIV/AIDS financing policies and prioritizing pediatric HIV/AIDS within the global response. Catherine spearheads the Foundation’s U.S. legislative efforts and multilateral advocacy engagement on global health issues, including policies related to pediatric HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs. Previously, she served as the Delegation’s Alternate Board Member since 2023.
“At a time of both challenge and opportunity in global health, I am honored to step in as Board Member for the Developed Country NGO Delegation. The Partnership’s unique model of shared responsibility has delivered extraordinary progress against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Building on that foundation, I am committed to working collaboratively with colleagues across the Board and Partnership to help safeguard progress, strengthen sustainability, elevate the priorities of civil society and communities, and support the Global Fund’s continued success for the communities it serves,” Catherine Connor, incoming Board Member.
“I feel content that Catherine is taking over the Delegation’s leadership. With her experience in advocacy and coalition building, I am certain our Delegation will be able to continue to bring the voices of civil society and communities to the table,” stated Vitaly Djuma.
As the Delegation undergoes leadership changes, Vitaly will continue to contribute as a member. His strong leadership and dedication to raising issues pertaining to human rights, key and vulnerable populations, and marginalized communities has been critical to the Delegation for over five years — first as Alternate, then as Board Member.
When reflecting on his contributions and the end of his Board Member term, Vitaly remarked, “Two world religions, Islam and Judaism, say almost word for word: ‘Whoever saves one life, it is as if [they] saved the whole world.’ The Global Fund Partnership has saved 70 million lives. It is really 70 million worlds. I don’t know any science fiction writer who would dream of inventing 70 million worlds. But we are making this fantasy a reality. I am immensely proud of it. And I will never forget that this is what we are fighting for.”
The Developed Country NGO Delegation is one of twenty voting delegations to the Global Fund Board. It plays a critical role in the development and evolution of organizational strategy, the funding model, the work of the Secretariat and policy. Delegation members are representatives of civil society organizations based in countries not eligible for Global Fund grants due to income status. For more details on the Delegation, please visit our website, www.developedngo.org and on the Global Fund, please visit www.theglobalfund.org.
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