For immediate release
Wednesday March 4, 2015
“Friends of the Global Fund Europe” is very pleased to announce the nomination of Dr Stefano Vella as Vice-chair of the Board in charge of Italy.
Since 2013, Friends of the Global Fund Europe has extending its political advocacy activities through Europe and has decided to create vice-chair positions with national responsibilities in different European countries. The nomination of Dr Stefano Vella marks the development of Friends of the Global Fund Europe’s political advocacy activities in Italy to help raising awareness and enhancing resource mobilization in favour of the Global Fund in the country.
Mr Laurent Vigier, Chairman of Friends of the Global Fund Europe declared “I am very proud and delighted with the nomination of Dr Stefano Vella as Vice-chair of the Board for Italy. Italy was a key founder of the Global Fund in 2001 and the pledge it made at the last replenishment of the Global Fund end-2013 is as a very positive signal for international solidarity and a strong engagement towards the Global Fund. Stefano was among the founder board members of Friends of the Global Fund Europe. His continuous commitment to global health, his unfailing convictions that freeing the world of aids is at reach and his determination as researcher are the most valuable assets we can have to foster our advocacy efforts in Italy and help the Global Fund taking up the new challenges it faces.”
Stefano Vella is a medical doctor specialized in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and a researcher in pathogenesis and therapy of viral infections. He is the Head of the “Pharmacology” Department at The Italian National Health Institute (ISS) and his research group has published extensively on various aspects of HIV pathogenesis, treatment and prevention in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
He served as President of the International Aids Society (IAS) from 2000 to 2002 and was instrumental in the organization of the conference in Durban (2000) which is considered to be a milestone event in the fight against health inequalities. Dr Vella has been a member of the Technical Review Panel (TRP) of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and is currently the Italian member of the EDCTP General Assembly.
His great insights on global health issues, on Italian policies for health and medical research and his understanding of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have tremendously contributed to the development of the association.
***
Founded in April 2005, Friends of the Global Fund Europe is a non-profit organization set up to encourage public and private initiatives in Europe to support the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, to spread knowledge and recognition of the Global Fund’s objectives, actions and results and finally to raise additional funds for its work.