Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Announces New Leadership
November 29, 2023 — The Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Board is pleased to announce that Vitaly Djuma has been appointed as interim Board Member, and Catherine Connor has been selected as its new Alternate Board Member. The new leadership is working closely with Beatrijs Stikkers, out-going Board Member, to facilitate a smooth transition.
Vitaly Djuma, MPH, is the Executive Director at ECOM-Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity and has been a member since 2019 and the Alternate Board Member since 2021. Based in Tallinn, Estonia, he brings over 20 years’ experience in program design and management, strategic development, HIV, and human rights advocacy to his Board leadership.
“On behalf of the full delegation, I am thrilled that Vitaly is stepping in as interim Board Member and Catherine is kicking off her term as Alternate Board Member to lead the delegation. Vitaly’s three years as Alternate Board Member and long-standing experience in leading key population networks across the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region is crucially important for our delegation’s effective engagement to assure rights-based grant implementation and inclusive governance of Country Coordinating Mechanisms,” said Beatrijs Stikkers.
“I am thankful for the Delegation members for their trust. I am honored to guide this group of experienced experts and activists in representing the voices of civil society and communities,” said Vitaly Djuma.
Catherine Connor, JD, assumed her two-year tenure as Alternate Board Member on 1 November 2023, just prior to the 50th Global Fund Board Meeting. Based in Washington, DC, she is the Vice President of Public Policy at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation where she oversees the domestic and global HIV and TB policy portfolio, and ensures children, women, and families are prioritized in existing epidemics and emerging pandemics.
“Catherine’s deep understanding of pediatric HIV and TB service delivery brings valuable insights to better reach and serve children. We will benefit from Catherine’s field level program experience that will translate into evidence-based global advocacy. Her outstanding collaborative approach, coalition building, as well as keen eye for sustainability issues and commitment to strengthening communication within our constituency will make for significant and insightful contributions at the Board table,” stated Beatrijs Stikkers.
“I am excited to take on this new role and help elevate civil society concerns and perspectives within the Global Fund’s Board. I take this new role seriously, as civil society engagement has been an instrumental part of the Global Fund’s success to-date. I look forward to working with Delegation Members and the broader civil society community to ensure that the Global Fund invests in evidence-based interventions that not only move us closer to ending the three pandemics, but also keep communities at the center,” said Catherine Connor.
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 the Global Fund grants. 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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