<div class="gmail_quote"> From: <a href="mailto:slim.slama@hcuge.ch">slim.slama@hcuge.ch</a><br> <br>During its 36th Annual Conference the Global Health Council announced<br>that Jeffrey Sturchio will become its new President & CEO.<br>
<br>Interestingly, Sturchio just retired from Merck where he occupied<br>various positions since 1989. He is also the chairman of the Corporate<br>Council on Africa, an private sector organization that aims to<br>facilitate the commercial relationship between the United States and the<br>
African continent (<a href="http://www.africacncl.org/" target="_blank">http://www.africacncl.org</a>).<br><br>As to Global health involvement, he managed a portfolio of activities<br>including The Merck Company Foundation/Corporate Contributions, the<br>
Merck Institute for Science Education, the Merck Childhood Asthma<br>Network, global health partnerships (including the Merck MECTIZAN<br>Donation Program), global HIV/AIDS access programs, corporate<br>responsibility reporting and the Merck Archives. He also took part to<br>
the UN/Industry Accelerating Access Initiative to help improve HIV/AIDS<br>care and treatment in the developing world.<br><br>Given the lobbying power of the Global Health Council, it would be<br>important to follow how this new appointment will affect the GHC's<br>
strategic orientation.<br><br>The increasing call for more involvement of the private sector in the<br>health sector as pushed by the IFC and other big corporations is for me<br>a major source of concern. After 20 years at Merck and chairman of an<br>
organization that seeks to expand US based markets in Africa (having<br>companies like Lockheed Martin on its board), this new appointment may<br>not presage the best for Global health. Only time will tell. Let's see.<br>
<br>Follow this link for an interview of Jeffrey Sturchio on Global Health<br>TV:<br><br><a href="http://gh.websedgemedia.com/news/major_announcement_kicks_off_council's_2009_conference/#/news/jeffrey_sturchio_to_take_top_job_at_council/" target="_blank">http://gh.websedgemedia.com/news/major_announcement_kicks_off_council's_2009_conference/#/news/jeffrey_sturchio_to_take_top_job_at_council/</a><br>
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