Jirair Ratevosian, MPH - an Armenian-American advocate for global health and human rights - has been appointed by President Joe Biden to serve in the State Department’s Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy,
The Armenian Weekly reports.
Ratevosian is taking on the role of senior advisor, where he will help oversee the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - the leading, lifesaving program that has invested nearly $85 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response.
“Working at PEPFAR is an opportunity to carry forward a lifetime mission of pursuing health equity and social justice,” read Ratevosian’s statement following his swearing-in at the US State Department on Monday morning.
“Thanks to US leadership and continued bipartisan support, tremendous progress has been made in the fight against AIDS, but the work is far from over.”