Goosby given key AIDS role by Obama

Dr Eric Goosby has been nominated by President Obama as the new US Global AIDS coordinator.

He will also take on the role of directing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar).

The appointment of Dr Goosby, who is a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and chief executive and chief medical officer of the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, has been met with widespread praise.

Alvaro Bermejo, executive director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, said: "Dr Eric Goosby brings a wealth of experience to this critical role.

"As Dr Goosby takes office we will urge him to put even greater emphasis on the need to invest in building the capacity of local community based organisations in order to provide a firm foundation for programme sustainability."

Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, added that he thinks Dr Goosby is "an excellent choice".

Currently, Pepfar supports antiretroviral treatment for 1.4 million people around the globe.

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