Global Fund Board Selects New Chair and Vice-Chair
GENEVA – The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) announced today they selected Erna Solberg, the former Prime Minister of Norway, as the new Chair, and Javier Hourcade Bellocq, a global public health leader and current member of the Global Fund Board, as Vice-Chair. They will be serving a three-year term beginning in late October.
Erna Solberg is one of Europe’s most experienced politicians, serving nearly four decades as a Member of the Norwegian Parliament, eight years as Prime Minister (2013-2021), and over twenty years as Leader of the Conservative Party. She combines executive leadership with a strong track record in multilateral governance, global health diplomacy, and coalition management.
“The Global Fund has shown that multilateral cooperation can save lives, strengthen health systems and build resilience against future threats,” said Solberg. “At a time of increasing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, protecting the gains made against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria is more important than ever. I am honored to lead the work of the Global Fund Board and work alongside its distinguished members to achieve the mission of the partnership in these complex times.”
As Prime Minister, Solberg led coalition governments through economic reform and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her international engagement has included a focus on global health, development, and epidemic preparedness. For example, during her premiership, she was involved in the establishment of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and in advancing international coordination on vaccine development for emerging infectious diseases. Together with South Africa, she co-established and co-chaired the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), a global collaboration to support the development and equitable distribution of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines during the pandemic.
Javier Hourcade Bellocq has been deeply engaged with the Global Fund since its early days and has served in multiple capacities, including Board Member for the Communities Delegations and a member of the Strategy Committee. He has also contributed to governance reform processes and served on the Technical Review Panel, providing insight into both governance and grant-making mechanisms.
“The Global Fund represents one of the strongest examples of effective international partnership in global health,” said Hourcade Bellocq. “I have seen firsthand how its ability to bring together countries, communities and donors to deliver impact has saved 70 million people and transformed lives. I am grateful for this opportunity to further my support to the Global Fund, its Board and the people at the center of its mission.”
In addition to the Global Fund, Hourcade Bellocq has held leadership and advisory roles with key global health organizations including UNAIDS, WHO, UNITAID, and the Pan American Health Organization, as well as national governments in Latin America. His board experience includes serving as Chair of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), alongside broader civil society leadership roles and ongoing engagement with regional community-led initiatives.
Solberg and Hourcade Bellocq were selected by the Global Fund Board following a competency-based selection process that started in December 2025 and was designed to identify the best leadership pair for the Global Fund. The process was led by a Nomination Committee appointed by the Board, and the full Board finalized its vote to approve the new Chair and Vice-Chair on 2 June 2026.
Roslyn Morauta, the current Board Chair and Bience Gawanas, the current Vice-Chair, will continue to lead the Board until the leadership transition in late October.