Announcement
Welcoming Leaders to Drive Health Advocacy in Asia-Pacific:
Introducing New Steering Committee Members of GFAN AP
We are thrilled to welcome the new Steering Committee (SC) Members of Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) – Daniel Marguari, Karun Lama, Moon Ali (Mahnoor Ch) and Sita Shahi who bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to their roles.
Daniel Marguari has been a key leader in the HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) response in Indonesia for over 25 years and was a Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) member from 2003 to 2015 and is currently the CEO of Yayasan Spiritia (Spiritia Foundation), a civil society principal recipient of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) grant in Indonesia.
Karun Lama is a youth advocate based in India with over a decade of experience representing adolescents and young people affected by HIV in all of their diversity; she is currently the Advocacy and Network Engagement Officer at Youth Voices Count (YVC) and previously served on the Steering Group of GenEndIt.
Moon Ali (Mahnoor Ch) is a transgender activist based in Pakistan and the Executive Director of Khawaja Sira Society(KSS) focusing on advancing the social and health rights of transgender women/Hijra community; she was formerly an Executive Board Member of ILGA Asia.
Sita Shahi is the Regional Coordinator of the International Community of Women Living with HIV Asia-Pacific (ICWAP) which advocates for the needs and rights of women living with HIV and has experience at the Nepalese country level before joining ICWAP in Thailand.
The dedication and expertise of the incoming SC members will undoubtedly enrich our collective efforts to fight against HIV, TB and malaria as epidemics, support the coordination, convening and mobilisation of community and civil society organisations to advocate for a fully resourced Global Fund that ensures access to quality and equitable healthcare as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
We extend our deepest gratitude to Blessina Kumar of Global Coalition of TB Advocates (GCTA), Masaki Inaba of Africa Japan Forum (AJF), and Don Baxter former CEO of ACON and Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) – currently known as Health Equity Matters, for their invaluable contributions during their tenure in the SC. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping GFAN AP’s directions and approaches. Additionally, our appreciation to Blessina and Masaki for their kind agreement to extend their terms to support the incoming new SC Members and support towards institutional memory.
We also express appreciation to the Selection Committee Members, Blessina Kumar, Masaki Inaba and Katy Kydd Wright, Director of Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) for their diligent efforts in identifying the best-suited candidates for the new SC. The selection committee was also joined by Rachel Ong, GFAN AP Regional Coordinator with support by consultant, Ruth Morgan Thomas, who has been supporting GFAN AP in the governance review process and strengthening its governance processes.
As GFAN AP embarks on this new chapter, we remain steadfast in our commitment to inclusivity and diversity within the SC. In line with this commitment, we will continue our search for an advocate who can bring about the perspectives and needs of the community and populations most impacted by malaria from our region to join the GFAN AP SC. GFAN AP aims to ensure that our initiatives are informed by a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and needs of our region in achieving effective and sustainable malaria prevention, control and elimination efforts.
We look forward to working closely with the new SC from 8 April 2024 through 8 April 2026 as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead leading up to the Eighth Replenishment of the Global Fund in Q4 of 2024 and beyond, united in our mission to drive positive change in global health. Your dedication and commitment are invaluable assets, and we are honoured to have you as part of our team.
Together, as we embark on this new chapter together, GFAN AP remains committed to its strategies and actions of supporting communities and civil society advocacy by developing advocacy campaigns and coordinating efforts, fostering collaborations, engaging with political health advocacy platforms and developing advocacy toolkits. We thank the incoming GFAN AP SC for their unwavering commitment to our shared mission, and we look forward to the incredible journey ahead together.