Global Fund Appoints Head of Health Finance
02 October 2020
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today announced the appointment of Kalipso Chalkidou as Head of Health Finance at the Global Fund.
Chalkidou’s appointment, along with the creation of a new Health Finance department, represents a step-change in the Global Fund’s focus and capabilities in health finance, enabling an even more active role in unlocking sustainable domestic funding and enhancing its impact, both in fighting HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and in the development of more resilient systems of health.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, welcomed Chalkidou’s appointment, saying: “Kalipso will build on the Global Fund’s track record of success in catalyzing increased domestic resources for health. With COVID-19 simultaneously putting huge strains on health systems and undermining economies and thus fiscal capacities, it has never been more important to focus on securing adequate, sustainable and equitable health financing.”
Chalkidou will lead the development and implementation of an overarching health financing strategy for the Global Fund, expanding and coordinating the work of our health financing specialists, reinforcing our advocacy and support to countries, and deepening our collaboration with partners.
Chalkidou brings a wealth of experience as a global health policy leader, academic and trained clinician, as well as a proven ability in effectively dealing with governments at both a global and local level. She comes to the Global Fund from a range of concurrent leadership positions including Director of Global Health Policy and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Development; Professor of Global Health Practice at Imperial College and Visiting Professor at King’s College London.
As the founder and director of the international Decision Support Initiative (iDSI), a multi-country partnership, Kalipso worked with national governments and national health insurance institutions, building in-country capacity and sharing local expertise, to create effective institutions and processes.
Chalkidou will join the Global Fund in January 2021 and will be responsible for shaping the new Health Finance Department.