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US President Joe Biden has appointed Dr John Nkengasong to lead a public health program on HIV / AIDS, known as the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar).
Dr Nkengasong is currently the head of the Africa CDC, the agency leading the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The $ 7 billion (£ 5 billion) Pepfar program is known to provide government funding and treatment for people living with HIV, the majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
If approved, the Cameroonian-born virologist would be the first person of African descent to lead the program.
He was also among the founding members of this initiative in 2013.
The US government’s initiative has been leaderless since February of last year. Its former leader Deborah Birx left to join the US coronavirus task force.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, HIV cases have been on the increase.
Experts say many people were not getting tested while others were unable to take their medications due to the disruption of supplies.
UNAids Executive Director Winnie Byanyima previously tweeted: “Delighted! An excellent choice. A longtime leader in the fight against #AIDS and a great collaborator. “
While many of his peers are happy for him, some question the transition because it comes at a time when he advocates for equitable sharing of Covid-19 vaccines for Africa.
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