[ad_1]
José Manuel Barroso was appointed president of the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), an organization that is currently of great importance due to the pandemic caused by covid-19.
The appointment of the former Portuguese prime minister and former president of the European Commission was unanimously approved by GAVI’s Board of Directors at a meeting held in Geneva, according to a statement from the organization.
José Manuel Barroso will start as Chairman of GAVI’s Board of Directors in January 2021, replacing former Nigerian economist and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whose term ends in December this year. The position is unpaid.
Currently, José Manuel Barroso is President and a non-executive director of Goldman Sachs International, based in London.
Among the decisive factors for the election of José Manuel Barroso, the Council’s Investigation Commission highlighted his “remarkable status and experience, his career as a leader, his extensive experience in the presidency of institutions with multiple interested and its commitment to international cooperation ”.
In statements cited in the GAVI statement, José Manuel Barroso stated that, at the time of the worst pandemic of the last century, “the world now needs GAVI more than ever, so much so that the covid-19 vaccines reach all countries, rich and poor, as well as continuing its primary mission of protecting hundreds of millions of people from preventable diseases. “
Reactions to the appointment
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa congratulated the former Portuguese prime minister on Tuesday through a note published in the site of the Presidency of the Republic, in which it is pleased that “another Portuguese in an international position particularly relevant in the current context of the coronavirus pandemic“. In the note, the head of state refers that the GAVI Alliance is “an international organization financed by public and private donors, which promotes vaccines and immunization of children in the world, particularly in developing countries.”
Prime Minister António Costa also reacted this Tuesday afternoon through a message posted on the social network Twitter, in which he congratulated Durão Barroso for the nomination “at a time when the organization, which Portugal supports, will be called upon to play an important role in facilitating equitable and accessible access to covid-19 vaccines”.
I and President of the European Commission He resorted to the same social network to welcome the appointment of Barroso. Ursula von der Leyen considers GAVI a crucial partner in the global response to the covid-19 pandemic and says she looks forward to “working together to ensure access to safe and effective vaccines for all who need them, anywhere in the world. ”.
In turn, the executive director of GAVI, Seth Berkley, thanks, in a statement, the experience of Durão Barroso, “commitment and practical approach to international cooperation”, qualities that, he said, “will be immensely useful as GAVI becomes embarks on its next strategic period to improve vaccine equity and leave no one behind, in addition to taking on new challenges as a partner in the global response to covid-19.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also greeted his successor: “I know, however, that I leave my position in good hands. José is an excellent choice, with a track record in advocating for development, equity and gender diversity, and I am convinced that he is the right person to lead GAVI in its next chapter ”.
More than 760 million immunized children
GAVI is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half of the world’s children against some of the deadliest diseases. Since its creation in 2000, GAVI helped immunize more than 760 million childrenthus avoiding more than 13 million deaths and reducing infant mortality by half in 73 developing countries.
The organization brings together governments from developing countries and donors, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. .
In recent years, under the leadership of the Nigerian, GAVI has successfully addressed the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has also contributed to the fight against polio in Africa.
At the World Vaccine Summit in June, he managed to secure a historic $ 8.8 billion in funding.
Also according to the statement, more recently, GAVI played a central role in the design of the COVAX facility, which aims to ensure global and equitable access to covid-19 vaccines, once they become available.
The selection process for the position began in October 2019 and was conducted by an Investigative Committee chaired by former Council Vice President Bill Roedy. Before making the final decision, the Commission involved 115 candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
[ad_2]
