News & Insights

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) announced today the appointment of two returning individuals and one new individual elected by the GHTC membership to serve on the coalition’s steering committee for the next three years.   Rachel Cohen, Senior Advisor for Global Policy Advocacy & Access at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, and Elizabeth Lovinger, US and Global Health Policy Director at the Treatment Action Group, will continue serving on the steering committee following their reelection, and Jennifer Maple, Associate Director of Advocacy at IAVI, will newly join the coalition’s governance body following her election to the remaining open committee seat. Additionally, Jenny Blair, Director of US Partnerships at PATH, was recently appointed to hold the ex officio seat designated for PATH, which serves as GHTC’s secretariat organization.“As GHTC sharpens our focus on advancing policies to accelerate global health innovation and prepares for the next US administration and Congress, we’re delighted to welcome our new and returning steering committee members, who bring a wealth of advocacy and partnership experience to support the coalition in deepening our impact,” said GHTC Executive Director Dr. Kristie Mikus. More information about GHTC’s new and returning committee members is provided below: Rachel Cohen Rachel Cohen serves currently as Senior Advisor for Global Policy Advocacy & Access, after having previously served for 12 years as Executive Director of the North America office, at the Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative, an international nonprofit developing safe, effective, and affordable treatments for neglected patients around the world. Rachel has more than 30 years of experience in the global health and humanitarian field having held previous roles at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, Housing Works, and the U.S.+Cuba Medical Project. She has served on the GHTC steering committee since its establishment in 2011. Elizabeth Lovinger Elizabeth (Lizzy) Lovinger is the US and Global Health Policy Director for Treatment Action Group, an independent, activist, and community-based research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, prevention, a vaccine, and a cure for HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C virus. Previously, she was manager of community health promotion at the New York City Health Department, where she focused on LGBTQ+ outreach efforts, and, before that, she worked at Gay Men’s Health Crisis, where she advocated for an end to HIV criminalization and better HIV prevention in prisons. Lizzy has served on the GHTC steering committee since 2021. Jennifer Maple Jennifer (Jenni) Maple serves as Associate Director of Advocacy at IAVI, a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to addressing urgent, unmet global health challenges, including HIV, tuberculosis, and emerging infectious diseases. In this role, she leads IAVI’s advocacy and government relations for North America and Japan and manages key relationships with policymakers, donors, advocacy partners, and coalitions. Prior to joining IAVI, Jenni coordinated a youth HIV/AIDS program in southern Uganda. Jenny Blair Jenny Blair is the Director of US Partnerships at PATH, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving health equity worldwide. In her current role, she manages PATH’s engagement and relationships with the US government and key US-based partners. As part of this role, Jenny also leads PATH’s US policy team, working to leverage PATH’s expertise to influence US global health policy. Before joining PATH, Jenny worked for the US House of Representatives and the International Justice Mission. These newly elected and appointed members will be joining other current GHTC steering committee members who are on alternate three-year term cycles, including Jodie Curtis, Washington representative for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; John Meade Jr., Senior Program Manager of Policy at AVAC; and Fara Ndiaye, Deputy Executive Director of Speak Up Africa. Full biographies of all GHTC steering committee members can be found on GHTC’s website. 

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Supporting Innovative Global Health Technologies (SIGHT) Act of 2024. The bill would empower the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost its research and development (R&D) capabilities for health care technologies in low- and middle-income countries abroad. This bill, S.5278, is a companion bill to H.R.6424, which was introduced in the House of Representatives last November by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)."We applaud Senator Booker for his leadership in advancing next-generation health innovations that are critical for tackling both known and emerging global health challenges by expanding the global health R&D ecosystem within the US government," said Dr. Kristie Mikus, Executive Director of the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), which represents 49 nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and aligned businesses dedicated to advancing life-saving innovations globally. "With its extensive presence in low- and middle-income countries and its strong track record of fostering public-private partnerships, USAID is uniquely positioned to drive groundbreaking health innovation. It is encouraging to see congressional leaders in both the House and Senate recognize USAID's potential to embrace new disease-agnostic program areas that will complement the ongoing USAID R&D partnerships that have already been instrumental in saving millions of lives around the world."