New Supervisory Board members Linda-Gail Bekker and Mariângela Simão bring a world of experience

Linda-Gail and Mariângela bring a wealth of hands-on experience in delivering healthcare services, making their perspectives invaluable to the Board. Linda-Gail has established herself as a distinguished professor of medicine and an A+ rated physician-scientist. Her organisation is renowned for groundbreaking studies in the field of HIV and TB. Mariângela has dedicated nearly three decades to working within the Brazilian public health system, having held positions at both the state and municipal levels, as well as in the Ministry of Health, where she notably served as the HIV/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Director for several years.

Access to Medicine Foundation CEO, Jayasree Iyer, said: "Linda-Gail brings strong knowledge and experience of delivering patient care and clinical development in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mariângela brings her experience in essential medicines, country policies and regulations, and a profound knowledge in access to medicine in different contexts. The Foundation, and the work we do, will benefit greatly; working alongside our existing members, they will enrich our understanding of the practicalities of access in LMICs and help us increase our impact."

Driving access to essential healthcare

Linda-Gail, based in South Africa, has a profound commitment to community engagement and peer-led education programmes. Her community work strives to dismantle the stigma surrounding HIV and tuberculosis. Linda-Gail holds crucial roles as Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, and Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV centre, University of Cape Town, which aims to develop evidence-based best practices for treatment, prevention and care of HIV, TB, and STIs for all affected and diverse populations, with a specific focus on community service integration. Linda-Gail served as the president of the International AIDS Society from 2016 to 2018.

Reflecting on her experiences assisting HIV patients in the early days of the crisis, she says: "I can remember when we first started to access the treatment, with an HIV epidemic that meant one in three young women we encountered were living with HIV, and we had to sit at the end of the day and decide who would get treatment – we could maybe offer it to only one in ten people - knowing that the rest would die an early and miserable death. That’s what access to medicine means to me; it's not a philosophical thing for me, it really is the tangible difference between life and death."

Mariângela’s professional journey within the Brazilian public health system began in 1982, spanning from primary health care to managerial positions. As a public health professional, she played an active role in decentralising the national health system, acquiring extensive understanding around health system strengthening. She currently serves as the Director-President of the Instituto Todos pela Saúde, a São Paulo based non-profit organisation focused on outbreaks, epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Mariângela previously held the position of Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products in the World Health Organization from 2017 to 2022. She also dedicated seven years to the United Nations Programme for HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) as the Director for Prevention, Gender, Community Mobilization and Human Rights.

Equitable access to healthcare lies at the core of Mariângela's beliefs: "It’s something that’s very strong in my DNA; it shouldn’t matter where, or to whom, you are born.’"

Regarding her contribution to the Foundation, Mariângela says: "I bring years of experience in a developing country where sustainable access to safe and quality assured medicines is a priority for the health system. And I also bring the experience of working with HIV – pushing for social justice in health policies. It proved it was possible."

As the Foundation continues to broaden its work across various healthcare sectors, the replenishment of the Supervisory Board is key to supporting wider understanding and engagement across different networks. The Supervisory Board includes John Schaetzl as Chair, alongside existing Members Joelle Tanguy, Patrick Flochel, Jane Masiga and Tochi Okwor.

The Access to Medicine Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation that seeks to transform the healthcare ecosystem by motivating and mobilising companies to expand access to their essential healthcare products in low- and middle-income countries. The role of the Supervisory Board is to oversee the management and strategic direction of the Foundation, and Members are also consulted for advice and guidance in their areas of expertise.