Celebrating Bipartisan Congressional Leadership on the Global Fund and Global Health

Highlights from Friends’ Celebration of Bipartisan Congressional Leadership on the Global Fund

On July 10th, Friends of the Global Fight hosted an awards reception to honor the remarkable impact of bipartisan congressional leadership on the Global Fund and global health. The event recognized Senator John Boozman, Representative Pete Aguilar, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, Representative Grace Meng and faith leader Shepherd Smith for their dedication to fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

“We are coming together as a community—Republicans and Democrats, members of Congress, the administration, staff, diplomats, advocates and others—to celebrate leadership that saves lives, ” said Friends President and CEO Chris Collins. “Tonight is about what bipartisan congressional leadership can do and what it has done. It’s about saving millions from disease. It’s about bending the trajectory of the biggest infectious disease killers in the world, and it’s about making all of us more safe and secure.”

Accepting his award, Senator John Boozman remarked, “It’s amazing the impact that these policies have made and are going to make in the future. This is not a Democrat or a Republican thing, but this is how it ought to work; lots of people that have a common interest and are trying to do good—actually stepping up to the plate and making a difference.”

Featured speakers—including U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador John Nkengasong and UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director for Programmes Angeli Achrekar—underscored the transformative power of bipartisan efforts in global health. “Thanks to political leadership and innovation, we are here today. Good politics plus good public health saves lives,” Nkengasong noted.

Reflecting on the longstanding legacy of American bipartisanship, Achrekar added, “Some 20 or 30 years ago, when the world was being ravaged by the AIDS pandemic, an unprecedented response was demanded and the world stepped up. But it was truly the American people, the US government and the U.S. Congress that led the way.”

Dianne Stewart—head of donor relations at the Global Fund—reflected on the power of collaboration in global health, “Partnerships are the foundation of the Global Fund’s success. The network Friends has built here in DC has helped us maintain strong bipartisan support for over two decades.”

Friends Board Member and former Congresswoman Martha Roby thanked Congressman Diaz-Balart for his steadfast leadership, “Representative Diaz-Balart, like me, knows that the Global Fund represents the best of our international assistance—saving lives, building accountability for results, value for money and engagement of multiple stakeholders in decision making.”

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement in Global Health Award, faith leader Shepherd Smith said, “One of the great lessons we’ve learned through this whole experience is the value in strength and diversity. People with different talents coming together can provide something incredibly strong.”

Explore photos from the celebration here.