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Randall Tobias, the former CEO of the pharmaceutical giant, Eli Lilly and Company, has won unanimous approval from a US senate committee to head President George W. Bush's global HIV/AIDS initiative.
Earlier this year Bush named Tobias as director for his US $15 billion global programme to tackle HIV/AIDS in 14 African countries and the Caribbean.
According to America's Indianapolis Star newspaper, Bush praised Tobias' management skills, despite the ex-CEO's lack of previous experience in HIV/AIDS work.
Bush said Tobias would set up a broad network to deliver drugs to the farthest reaches of Africa, "even by motorcycle or bicycle" and would help train health care professionals to treat people living with HIV/AIDS.
However, AIDS activists have raised concerns that Tobias would seek to protect pharmaceutical industry profits rather than promote affordable access to antiretroviral drugs in developing countries.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions