Expert in HIV and sexual and reproductive health field to lead PATH's South Africa country program
Contact:
Amy MacIver, 206.302.4522, amaciver@path.org.
Seattle, March 5, 2013—PATH today announced the appointment of Kevin Osborne to the position of South Africa country program leader. Mr. Osborne’s 20-year career in public health includes extensive expertise in the HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) fields. He will be based in PATH’s Johannesburg, South Africa, office beginning April 8, 2013.
“I am delighted to welcome Kevin Osborne back to his home country to serve as PATH’s country program leader for South Africa,” said Steve Davis, president and CEO at PATH. “I know his pioneering approach and impressive background in the HIV and sexual and reproductive health fields well position him to lead PATH in tackling the health challenges faced in South Africa today.”
In his new role, Mr. Osborne will manage PATH’s South Africa country program, which is focused largely on supporting the National Department of Health in improving the lives of mothers, babies, and orphans; strengthening health systems; and working in partnership with local universities and public and private institutions to introduce and scale up reproductive, maternal and neonatal, and diagnostic technologies. Mr. Osborne will also oversee the further development of PATH’s HIV and gender portfolio in South Africa.
“I am thrilled to join PATH’s South Africa country program, which has a proven track record of improving health in the region,” said Kevin Osborne, incoming South Africa country program leader at PATH. “During my career in the HIV and sexual and reproductive health fields, I have long admired PATH’s groundbreaking work. As the global health and development landscape shifts, South Africa will have many exciting new opportunities to address health challenges.”
Mr. Osborne has served in senior positions at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in London and at the Futures Group International in Washington, DC, and has pioneered major projects and approaches in shaping responses towards SRH and HIV integration at the policy, systems, and service-delivery levels. Since 2003, he has served as the senior HIV advisor at the IPPF, where he was responsible for the creation of their global SRH and HIV linkages program. In addition, Mr. Osborne held the positions of director of HIV at the Futures Group International and country director in South Africa for the United States Agency for International Development–supported POLICY Project.
During his ten years at the IPPF, Mr. Osborne led strategy implementation for linking SRH and HIV responses in collaboration with more than150 national member associations and global leaders. Other major achievements included the initiation of antiretroviral therapy within a family planning and reproductive health setting, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS as an exemplary example of integration. Mr. Osborne was also co-lead of the global Interagency Working Group on SRH and HIV Linkages, which pioneered much of the current thinking on this issue, including the development of the evidence base for linkages. He conceptualized the development of a groundbreaking research initiative to gain an enhanced understanding about the various models of service integration in sub-Saharan Africa and their associated costs and benefits.
With an academic background in education and human rights gained in South Africa, Mr. Osborne has supported a number of national, regional, and international programs by forging partnerships with government, UN agencies, and the donor community. He has published widely and has participated as a speaker at numerous regional and international conferences. In addition, his track record in managing diverse and large teams and supporting operations research initiatives, as well as experience as a member of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS and the Cochrane Collaboration HIV Review Group, are assets for PATH’s South Africa program.