The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) Announces Changes and Welcomes New Board of Directors

SINGAPORE, 28 October 2021 - The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) announced that Prof Tikki Pangestu will step down as Board Chair as of 10 November 2021. Prof Tikki has been on the Board since November 2016 in different capacities. APLMA also appointed and welcomed Lady Roslyn Morauta and Dr Hsu Li Yang to its Board of Directors, at its recent Board Meeting on 19 October 2021.

Prof Tikki Pangestu said: “It has been an honour and great pride to have been part of this important cause. We have made great progress in the region and reaching the last mile to end malaria is critical and achievable. I thank all my fellow Board Members, our partners and the Secretariat; and wish you all the very best as we accelerate the fight to end malaria for good.”

Dr Sarthak Das, CEO of APLMA said: “On behalf of APLMA, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Prof Tikki Pangestu for his service as Board Chair and Board Member over the past 5 years. His leadership has been instrumental in linking science to health diplomacy particularly in a region where malaria is becoming increasingly invisible in many parts. We are grateful to two of our esteemed Board Members and eminent leaders, Dr Kamini Mendes and Dr Christoph Benn, who will serve together as interim Board Co-Chairs.”

Dr Das also welcomed the appointment of Lady Roslyn Morauta and Dr Hsu Li Yang to APLMA’s Board of Directors and expressed the Secretariat’s full support in their new roles. “Lady Roslyn brings a singular trifecta of experience: deep knowledge of Papua New Guinea, an understanding of the Indo Pacific Region, and a global perspective through her work with the Global Fund. An infectious disease specialist and public health expert, Dr Hsu has also been a catalyst in the regional fight against antimicrobial resistance, and has also contributed to Singapore’s exemplary Covid-19 response through the different phases of the past two years. Both will take our regional elimination journey to new heights.

Lady Roslyn said: “I am delighted to join APLMA and fellow Board members at a time when the pandemic is causing enormous disruption to malaria efforts and one when we must remain steadfast. I am grateful to the APLMA Board for this opportunity and look forward to working with the Secretariat to step up our collective commitment and investment in the global fight against malaria and to end malaria in Asia Pacific.”

Dr Hsu said: “I am honored to join APLMA at this critical juncture. Addressing both last mile challenges and issues of drug-resistance malaria are both essential to push the region towards malaria elimination.  In the end, strengthening surveillance and health systems more broadly, particularly where resources are limited, will be critical to end this preventable disease by 2030. I look forward to supporting APLMA in this regard.”

Lady Roslyn currently serves as Vice-Chair of The Global Fund Board and has a long association with the Global Fund having served as alternate Board Member for the Western Pacific Region constituency and as Chair of the Papua New Guinea Country Coordinating Mechanism. From her time as first lady of Papua New Guinea (PNG), she has built extensive experience and knowledge in private and public sectors, and the PNG’s local policy and health system. Over the years, her deep understanding of global health has led her to steadily championed health, HIV programs and gender issues. Roslyn continues to be actively involved in voluntary community work and serves as a director on a number of boards.

Dr Hsu Li Yang is an infectious diseases physician by training who has spent the past decade researching and treating patients with drug-resistant infections. He currently serves as Vice Dean of Global Health and Programme Leader of Infectious Diseases at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Prior to this he served as the founding Clinical Director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and  Director of the Singapore Infectious Diseases Initiative, which aimed to build collaborative research in infectious diseases in both Singapore and the region. Dr Hsu has also served as technical advisor on surveillance of antimicrobial resistance to the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific regional office, and continues to serve in a number of committees in Singapore’s Ministry of Health.

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