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Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award Applications Due

Deadline Extended

Apply Today for the Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award

The Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award is awarded annually to an emerging African leader who has contributed to the field of infectious disease and embodies the passion, intellectual drive, and spirit of Accordia's founder, Dr. Merle Sande. The successful candidate will be a young African leader with remarkable personal accomplishments in infectious disease teaching, research, or clinical science.

Applications will be accepted through February 17, 2012. The awardee will be awarded an honorarium and invited to lead two days of rounds and lectures and to present a keynote address at the Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

More Information

Voice of America: HIV Treatment Discussion

December 6, 2011, Washington D.C. - Voice of America's health correspondent Linord Moudou talks to Carol Spahn, Executive Director of the Accordia Global Health Foundation, about HIV treatments and funding.

Click here to watch the segment.

Voice of America: Infectious Diseases

November 8, 2011, Washington D.C. - An international partnership is working to deliver better healthcare in Africa and stem the spread of infectious disease. Click here to watch Voice of America's segment with Accordia's Kelly Willis.

Summit at USC Focuses on Global Health Care

November 17, 2011, Washington D.C. - At a summit at USC, Carol Spahn shared Accordia's approach to building and supporting Centers of Excellence.

"An entrepreneurial solution was outlined by Carol Spahn, executive director of Accordia Global Health Foundation, who spoke about her organization’s approach to creating and initially funding centers of excellence to drive health innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa, which eventually will evolve to being entirely run and funded on a local level.

"'It’s really about creating leadership, not just individual but institutional leadership,' Spahn said. 'We want to create a critical mass so that the best and brightest stay in Africa.'"

Click here to read a summary of the summit.

Meet Dr. Sabrina

December 1, 2011, Washington D.C. - On World AIDS Day 2011, Executive Director Carol Spahn shared one of many success stories seen because of Accordia's work.

"Dr. Sabrina Bakeera-Kitaka could have joined the thousands of medical professionals who leave Africa every year for employment opportunities in the US, Europe, and elsewhere. Through an innovative Accordia Global Health Foundation program, however, she received the financial support, mentorship, and opportunity to make a difference at home."

Click here to read the full story.

HIV/AIDS: One of the Greatest Medical Fights in Human History

December 1, 2011, Washington D.C. - Dr. Warner Greene and Dr. Elly Katabira report on HIV/AIDS: One of the Greatest Medical Fights in Human History.

"Will HIV/AIDS go down in history as the single largest pandemic of all time or will we effectively stop this killer before it tops the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages or the Great Influenza of 1918-1919? Early warnings suggested that HIV/AIDS deaths could reach 90 million, higher than the estimated 75 million that fell victim to the "black death" in the 14th century and the more than 50 million that died of the Spanish Flu as World War I ended. Now, thirty years into the crisis, AIDS has infected 60 million people and 27 million have died. How will history judge our response? And where do we go from here?"

Band-Aids Will Not Stop the Bleeding

October 17, 2011, Washington D.C. - Following the 2011 Celebration of Partnership Congressional Roundtable, Sheila C. Johnson delivers the second installment of a series of articles about Accordia and our programming.

"As an entrepreneur and philanthropist, I am committed to finding the most effective ways to make a difference in the issues facing our world. Americans are among the most generous people in the world, giving more money to charities than citizens of any other nation in the world. Much of our charity goes to disaster relief -- it seems there is always another emergency that needs vast quantities of resources and immediate attention.

Huffington Post: Paving the Way for a Generation Free of HIV

October 7, 2011, Washington, D.C. - Accordia Intermational Council Member, noted philanthropist, and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, Sheila C. Johnson recently made her first trip to visit the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda. In an article published on the Huffington Post, Ms. Johnson writes of the many inspiring people she met and the clear call to action to further curb the spread and effects of HIV/AIDS.

Global Health Advancements: One World/One People

Positive Impact Magazine
By Marci Wise

Instead of simply supplying drugs to Africa, preparations began to build an African based center for excellence which would enable continuous innovation and responsiveness to the most pressing regional health concerns of the moment.  It was with this bold vision that the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) was created.  If the project was done right, Africa and its people would benefit dramatically from a newfound self-reliance.

AllAfrica.com: Ugandan Youth Advocate Spreads Message of Self-Care

July 26, 2011, Washington D.C. - Jackie Kemigisha, an HIV-positive youth advocate from Uganda, dedicates her life to empowering those affected by HIV/Aids. After she learned of her HIV-postive status, Kemigisha sought help from the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) in Uganda's capital, Kampala. Through the institute and the Accordia Global Health Foundation, Kemigisha has become a key voice for youths affected by HIV/Aids. She recently visited three cities in the United States to speak about her experience. AllAfrica's Ellie Schneidman spoke with Kemigisha when she was in Washington, DC. The interview and Kemigisha's introduction to a speaking event in Washington was edited into a narrative about her life and work.

Accordia Academic Alliance Members Publish Article on IDI History

July 18, 2011, Washington DC - Accordia Academic Alliance members, Drs. Allan Ronald, Moses Kamya, Elly Katabira, Mike Scheld, and Nelson Sewankambo, published an article detailing the establishment and growth of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda, 10 years after the group first met to respond to the growing HIV crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Published in the June 2011 issue of the Infectious Disease Clinics of North America Journal, the article shares the founders' vision of an African-owned and -led center that combines training, research, and clinical services, with a heavy focus on prevention, all in a world-class setting.

30 Years After the Onset of AIDS: Building Solid Capacity to Fight this Disease and Future Epidemics

June 17, 2011, Washington, DC – The United Nations recently held its High Level Meeting on AIDS, where top officials from both the developed and developing world gathered to discuss the importance of continued vigilance in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for global support and commitment to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2020 by stopping new infections, ending stigma, and preventing AIDS-related deaths. To achieve and sustain this ambitious goal, it is more important now than ever to build Africa's capacity to fight the disease.

Daily Monitor: Inadequate dosages are leading to drug resistance

June 2, 2011, Kampala, Uganda - The Daily Monitor interviews Accordia's 2011 Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award Recipient and molecular biologist, Dr. Christian Happi.

World Malaria Day Alert: Accordia Names 2011 Sande Awardee

April 25, 2011, Washington D.C. - Accordia Global Health Foundation today announced that Dr. Christian Happi from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria has won the 2011 Merle A. Sande Leadership Award. This award is given annually to an emerging African leader who has contributed to the field of infectious disease in Africa, and embodies the passion, intellectual drive, and sprit of Dr. Merle Sande, founder of Accordia. Dr. Happi is specifically honored for his outstanding work on the molecular basis for Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs.

Dr. Bob Grant Presents iPrEx Study

During an Academic Alliance meeting, Dr. Bob Grant presented findings from the iPrEx study, which explores the use of HIV medications to reduce HIV infection. The study shows that individuals at high risk of HIV infection who took two widely used HIV medications, emtricitabine and tenofovir experienced an average of 43.8 percent fewer HIV infections than those who received a placebo pill. 2,499 individuals at high risk of HIV infection participated in the study in six countries. The results of the study were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine and iPrEx was listed in Time magazine as one of the top ten medical breakthroughs for 2010. Dr. Bob Grant is the Protocol Chair for the iPrEx study.

John Bartlett named to new AIDS board

John Bartlett, member of Accordia's International Scientific Advisory Board, was appointed to a newly-created advisory board for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The board's 48 members advise Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, on HIV/AIDS research to maximize scientific contributions from PEPFAR.

Click here to read the original story from the JHU Gazette.

Boston Event Raises Over $250,000 for Accordia

Accordia International Council member Nancy Brady mobilizes network in support of Accordia.

World AIDS Day 2010

On this World AIDS Day, Accordia Global Health Foundation salutes the thousands of health workers, community advocates, and patient volunteers who are dedicated to fighting a pandemic that has resulted in more than 25 million deaths and infected 60 million people worldwide.

The intensive efforts of the past two decades by multilateral organizations, governments, foundations, corporations, and individuals to reduce the suffering caused by infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa are beginning to yield results. Better prevention and diagnostic tools have been created, new treatments have been developed and made widely available, and over a million lives have been saved. Twenty-two African countries have now reduced new HIV infection rates by more than 25%.

Second Annual Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award Recognizes Emerging African Leaders in Infectious Disease

October 21, 2010, Washington DC - Accordia Global Health Foundation is pleased to announce the second annual Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award and to invite nominations and applications.

The award was established in memory of Dr. Merle Sande, a co-founder of Accordia and a renowned infectious diseases specialist known for his enthusiasm for work and life, his joy of teaching, and his outstanding leadership abilities. In 2010, Accordia presented the first Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award to Dr. W.D. Francois Venter, senior director of the HIV Management Cluster in the Reproductive Health and HIV Research Unit (RHRU) at the University of Witwatersrand, for his remarkable knowledge and experience, dedication to his patients, and resounding impact on his country’s fight against HIV.

Accordia Featured on the Michael Eric Dyson Show

September 14, 2010, Washington DC - Dr. Alex Coutinho, executive director of the Infectious Diseases Institute, and Accordia's executive director, Carol Spahn, spoke with Michael Eric Dyson about the challenges of building and operating African medical facilities.

Click here to read more and listen to the interview.

Accordia Urges Improved Impact Evaluation of Capacity-Building Programs in Africa

July 22, 2010, Washington, DC – At the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria, this week, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton both stressed the need to better measure the effectiveness and efficiency of programs designed to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. Gates noted, "We can't keep spending AIDS resources in exactly the same way we do today… As we continue to advocate for more funding, we also need to make sure we're getting the most benefit from each dollar of AIDS funding and every ounce of effort."

Accordia Global Health Foundation’s new report, Return on Investment: The Long-Term Impact of Building Healthcare Capacity in Africa, presents some of the opportunities and the early work being done to measure key areas of long-term capacity-building initiatives in African health systems that are designed to fight infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

IDI Lab Recognized in International Competition

April 29, 2010, Washington, DC: The Makerere University-Johns Hopkins University (MU-JHU) Core Lab at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) has been named first runner up for the 2010 Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO) Laboratory of the Year.

Each year, MLO selects three laboratories for this award—one winner and two runners up. The Core Lab was also honored in 2008 as the second runner up. At that time, it was the first laboratory outside of the United States to receive such high recognition from the MLO, and it is the only international laboratory honored this year.

Accordia Recognizes World Malaria Day 2010

April 23, 2010, Washington, DC: This Sunday, we recognize World Malaria Day, which commemorates the millions of people who battle the disease each year, celebrates the healthcare workers who provide treatment, and reinforces the drive to end the disease altogether.

Malaria takes the lives of over a million people each year, many of whom are children under the age of five. Ninety-percent of all cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The crisis has grown with the HIV/AIDS epidemic: malaria accelerates the course of AIDS and HIV increases the frequency and severity of malarial attacks.

Despite these grim statistics, there is hope for defeating malaria, which is both preventable and treatable. With improved access to prevention techniques like bed nets, effective medication, and training for healthcare workers to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment, the devastation caused by malaria can be dramatically decreased.

2010 Infectious Diseases Summit Concludes in Dar es Salaam

April 16, 2010, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Friday marked the end of Accordia's Infectious Diseases Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event was a success, with attendees spending two days addressing challenges to long-term healthcare capacity-building in Africa. This is the final installment in the three-part series of reports from Accordia's 2010 Summit.

The final sessions of the Accordia Global Health Foundation’s third annual Infectious Diseases Summit were sober but hopeful. Opinion was strong that effectively evaluating and measuring the impact of programs to improve healthcare worker capacity was critical to long-term efforts to achieve success, but everyone was quick to admit the somewhat daunting challenges that accompany that goal. 

Attendees Dive into Evaluation Challenges on Day Two of the Accordia Infectious Diseases Summit

April 16, 2010, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Today marked the second day of the 2010 Accordia Infectious Diseases Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We are continuing to report from the Summit today as key leaders and experts from the private sector, government, NGOs, foundations, and academia address related to long-term healthcare capacity building in Africa.

Accordia's Infectious Diseases Summit Kicks Off in Dar es Salaam

April 15, 2010, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Accordia is reporting from the 2010 Infectious Diseases Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Check back often, as stories will be posted here throughout the event.

First Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award Winner Announced

March 23, 2010, Washington DC: Accordia Global Health Foundation is pleased to announce the first recipient of the Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award: Professor Willem Daniel Francois Venter, a South African infectious disease clinician and researcher.

The award is given annually to an emerging African health leader who has contributed to the field of infectious disease and who embodies the passion, intellectual drive, and spirit of Dr. Merle A. Sande, one of Accordia’s founders. Dr. Sande, pictured above, was a renowned infectious disease specialist and a leading force in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Like Dr. Sande, Professor Venter has a passion for helping the people of Africa affected by HIV/AIDS.

Accordia Commemorates World TB Day

March 24, 2010, Washington DC: Today, Accordia Global Health Foundation joins the global health community in recognizing World Tuberculosis Day.

Each year, nearly 2 million people die of TB-related causes, and the disease is the leading killer of people with HIV. Despite the prevalence of the disease, healthcare workers are limited by dated and often ineffective diagnostic and treatment options. The only licensed vaccine against TB is more than 100 years old and does not prevent adult pulmonary (lung) TB, the most common and infectious form of the disease. 

Accordia’s 2009 Global Health Leadership awardee and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently discussed the importance of investing in tuberculosis research, stating:

Dr. Julie Gerberding Joins Merck Vaccines

January 25, 2010, Washington, DC: Today, Dr. Julie Gerberding takes the helm as president of Merck Vaccines. In her new role, Dr. Gerberding, who joined Accordia Global Health Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2009, will lead Merck’s vaccine operations, including introducing new vaccines and expanding access to vaccines in the developing world.

Dr. Gerberding is a long-time advocate for public health initiatives. Most recently, as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2002 to 2009, she expanded the agency’s portfolio to encompass preparedness and response to bioterrorism, pandemics, and other emerging global health threats.

Reacting to the news of Dr. Gerberding’s appointment, Accordia Global Health Foundation’s president, Dr. Warner Greene, said:

Accordia Global Health Foundation Condemns Uganda's Draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill

December 23, 2009, Washington, DC: For over two decades, Uganda has led sub-Saharan African nations in the fight against HIV/AIDS and has been recognized by the international community as a model of success and progress. This success has been attributed to many factors, not the least of which has been strong political leadership and commitment. However, draft legislation introduced in October in Uganda's parliament will reduce Uganda's ability to successfully fight HIV/AIDS and may jeopardize the gains that have been made. The legislation should be withdrawn immediately.

Accordia Observes World AIDS Day

December 1, 2009, Washington, DC: On World AIDS Day, Accordia Global Health Foundation would like to acknowledge the incredible commitment and dedication of the thousands of healthcare workers, community advocates, and patient volunteers that are on the front lines – fighting a pandemic that has resulted in more than 25 million deaths and infected 60 million people worldwide.

Every day, we hear about the severe shortage of qualified healthcare workers in Africa, where an estimated 23 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Less often do we celebrate those who have dedicated their lives to this cause – many of whom have been personally impacted by the disease.

We would like to take this opportunity to share a few of their stories. These stories originate from Accordia’s flagship program, the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda, where over 5,000 healthcare workers from 27 different African countries have been trained, where patient volunteers are empowered to spread messages of prevention and hope, and where advances in research, training methods, and clinical care are developed and tested for broad impact across the region.

Mark Dybul and Nick Hellmann Join Accordia's Leadership

November 3, 2009, Washington, DC: Accordia Global Health Foundation has expanded its leadership with the addition of Ambassador Mark Dybul to the Board of Directors and Dr. Nicholas Hellmann to Accordia’s International Council.

Infectious Diseases Institute Celebrates 5th Anniversary

IDI Celebrates Accomplishments, Continues Fight Against Infectious Disease in Africa

October 20, 2009, Washington, DC: On October 20, 2004, the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) officially opened its doors. Over the past five years, it has become a true center of excellence in sub-Saharan Africa, continuously expanding its services and outreach. Today, IDI continues to grow and innovate, serving the healthcare needs of the people of Kampala, Uganda, and Africa.

President commends US for helping Uganda on AIDS fight

October 1, 2009: President Yoweri Museveni has expressed gratitude to the Government of the United States of America for the support it has been giving to Uganda, especially in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The President was today receiving visiting Ambassador Eric Goosby and his US delegation, who called on him at State House, Entebbe. Mr. Goosby is the new Global AIDS Co-ordinator for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – PEPFAR.

Mr. Museveni, who warmly welcomed the delegation to Uganda, urged Ambassador Goosby to pay special attention to the alarming increase in the spread of AIDS in Uganda today and noted that the situation requires new strategies and a lot of sensitization. He pledged to reactivate the sensitization campaign against the pandemic in an effort to curb the recent increase in the spread of the AIDS as people seem to have forgotten what happened in the early 1980s.

Uganda: Adolescents Living With HIV/Aids Find Solace

October 1, 2009: The Transition Clinic, also called Young Adults Clinic, provides specialised HIV/Aids or psychosocial support to young adults living with HIV. Eunice Rukundo visited the clinic to find out about their activities and also spoke to two adolescents on how they are coping.

Accordia Calls on G8 Leaders to Invest in Strengthening Healthcare Systems

July 8, 2009:  Today, world leaders have gathered in Italy for the G8 Summit. They will discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, such as the economic and financial crisis, climate change, global security, and African development. For many years, the G8 leaders have shown a commitment to improving health outcomes in Africa—a commitment that Accordia Global Health Foundation hopes will expand even further as a result of this year’s summit.

Accordia Calls for Greater Investment to Build African Healthcare Leadership

June 18, 2009:  To improve health outcomes in Africa over the long term, the continent’s healthcare leadership must be strengthened and expanded at the individual, institutional, and network levels, Accordia Global Health Foundation’s new report concludes.

New Report Highlights Accordia and IDI

May 22, 2009: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released a major new report on the United States’ role in global health. It includes a number of recommendations that encourage the U.S. to reaffirm and increase its commitment to improving the health of developing nations to fulfill humanitarian obligations and to support U.S. health, economic, and national security interests. The report reflects findings of the Committee on the U.S. Commitment to Global Health, an expert group convened by the IOM that includes Accordia Board of Directors member and Principal of Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences, Dr. Nelson Sewankambo. Dr. Warner Greene, President of the Accordia Global Health Foundation, also was invited to present at one of the committee’s hearings.

Accordia Expands Board and International Council

May 13, 2009: At the April 2009 Board of Directors meeting in Kampala, Uganda, Dr. Julie Gerberding and Hiromitsu Ogawa were elected to the Accordia Global Health Foundation Board. At the same meeting, Gary Bridge, Robert Norton, and Steven Phillips were ratified as new members of Accordia’s International Council. These new members will bring great expertise and leadership to Accordia as it moves forward in its mission to fight infectious diseases in Africa.

Upcoming Events

2010 Infectious Diseases Summit

April 15, 2010
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
event details

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