South African minister of health in line to chair Global Fund

2 April 2004. Related: Treatment access.

Graham McKerrow, HIV i-Base

The governments of eastern and southern Africa have chosen the South African minister of health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang as their representative on the board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Next year the Fund has to choose a new chair to succeed Tommy Thompson, of the United States. Dr Tshabalala-Msimang will have served as a board member of Alternate for longer than most and will be in line for the top job.

This has caused some surprise among observers because Dr Tshabalala-Msimang has attracted a lot of criticism in South Africa and internationally for her views on HIV/AIDS and her government’s reluctance to provide treatment for its people.