Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC)
The Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC) provides independent advice to the WHO global secretariat on countries' progress toward elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, syphilis and/or hepatitis B virus and elimination of viral hepatitis B and C as a public health problem.

Mission

The GVAC provides advice to WHO regarding validation standards, processes and assessment tools.

The GVAC reviews validation reports from the Regional Validation Committee to ensure consistency and compliance with the minimum global criteria. It provides independent advice to WHO regarding validation of candidate countries for EMTCT of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, and elimination of viral hepatitis B and C.

If needed, the GVAC also provides recommendations to countries to support ongoing monitoring and maintenance of validation.

Current membership

The GVAC is a multidisciplinary team, comprising members with a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis and/or hepatitis B, and viral hepatitis B and C. Members serve a 3-year term, with the option to extend. When recruiting for an additional committee member, WHO will conduct a public call for experts on its website.

Call for experts

Meet the GVAC members

Chair

Dr Angela Mushavi

National PMTCT and Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment Coordinator, Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Zimbabwe

Dr Angela Mushavi leads the work on elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zimbabwe and is the current chair of the WHO Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC).

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Co-chairs

Dr Lori Newman

Deputy Director for STI and Gynecology, Women’s Health Innovations, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr Lori Newman is the Deputy Director for STI and Gynecology in the Women’s Health Innovations team of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and current co-chair of the WHO Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC).

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Ms Valerie Wilson

Director, Caribbean Med Labs Foundation

Ms Valerie Wilson is an immunologist and public health manager who has provided leadership and technical advisory services to Ministries of Health, private and public sector laboratories and staff in 23 countries within the Caribbean region. She is currently co-chairing the WHO Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC).

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Mitglieder

Dr Monique Andersson

Consultant in Clinical Infection

Ms Immaculate Owomugisha Bazare

Executive Director of Center for Women Justice Uganda

Professor Mohamed Chakroun

Medical Doctor, Infectious diseases specialist, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Monastir

Professor Benjamin Cowie

Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School

Dr Sandra Dudareva

Co-lead for Viral Hepatitis, The Robert Koch Institute

Dr Naoko Ishikawa

Family Physician at Kawasaki Settlement Clinic

Professor Quazi Monirul Islam

Faculty of Medicine, Prince Songkla University, Thailand

Dr Robert McDonald

Medical epidemiologist in the Division of STD Prevention at the National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, CDC

Professor Angelica Miranda

Professor, Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Espírito Santo

Dr Michele Montandon

Maternal Infant HIV Team Lead

Dr Sethembiso Promise Mthembu

Programmes Lead, Policy and Advocacy, Her Rights Initiative (HRI), and Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Dr Bharat Rewari

Visiting Professor, Institute of Liver and Bilary Sciences

Dr Gallican Nshogoza Rwibasira

Head of National HIV, STIs, and Hepatitis Programs and the Division Manager for HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis

Ms Ntombifuthi Precious Shongwe

Acting National Coordinator, Swaziland National Network of Young Positives (SNYP+)

Ms Olena Stryzhak

Lead, Positive Women in Ukraine

Dr Annette Sohn

Director of TREAT Asia and Vice President of amfAR

Dr Melanie Taylor

Medical Epidemiologist in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr Rania Tohme

Associate Director for Global Health, Division of Viral Hepatitis, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ms Fatima Tsiouris

Senior Director for Catalytic Initiatives and Program Optimization

Dr Clement Zeh

Team Lead for HIV Viral Load and Early Infant Diagnosis, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ms Deborah von Zinkernagel

Co-Director, STRIPE (Strengthening Interprofessional Education) for HIV

Dr Ai-Ling Wang

Chief physician, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, National Health Commission of China

Dr Su Wang

Senior Advisor for Global Health for the Hepatitis B Foundation

Former members

Dr Shabbir Ismail Argaw

Senior Director of Strategic Information and Evaluation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Ms Nyasha Chingore-Munazvo

Independent Consultant (Health, Human Rights and Gender)

Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis

Chief Medical Officer

Professor Sarah Hawkes

Professor of Global Health, Institute for Global Health, University College London

Dr Mary Kamb

Lead for Elimination and Control/Epidemiology Team in the Parasitic Diseases Branch, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ms Bakita Kasadha

Researcher and community advocate

Ms Eszter Kismödi

Chief Executive, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

Professor Rosanna Peeling

Professor and Chair of Diagnostics Research

Ms Lorraine Misquith

Senior Advocacy Manager for Greater Asia, Lawyers Collective India

Dr Surbhi Modi

Principal Deputy Director, Division of Global HIV & TB at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ms Lillian Mworeko

Executive Director, International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa

Professor Nataliya Nizova

Consultant, Public Health Center of The Ministry of Health of Ukraine

Dr Genesis Samonte

Dr Nathan Shaffer

Independent consultant

Dr Magnus Unemo

National Reference Laboratory for Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology

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