René Durazzo - Vice President, Global Programs

René Durazzo

As Pangaea's Vice President of Global Programs, René Durazzo oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of Pangaea's programs and partnerships. Involved in the fight against AIDS since 1987, he has been associated with Pangaea since its founding in May of 2001 and is a key player in the rapidly-evolving international effort to fight HIV/AIDS.

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		Articles in This Issue:
		•	Pangaea Partners with Clinton Foundation on Countrywide AIDS Treatment Programs
		•	Dr. Goosby's Global View: A Response to the Bush Administration's Proposal for Global AIDS Funding
		•	Pangea Staff Profile: René Durazzo - Vice President, Global Programs
		•	Pfizer Provides $11 Million to Build AIDS Clinic in Uganda
		•	Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Funds Treatment Program in South Africa
		•	Goosby Joins Bono's Heart of America Tour
		•	Rwandan President Honored During Visit to San Francisco

René has been working in HIV since 1987 when he joined the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF). While at SFAF, he was Program Director from 1994 to 2002 and was responsible for strategic planning and program development. From 1989 to 1994, he was SFAF's Director of Public Policy and in this position managed the agency's advocacy program. He was a central figure in the development and passage of the Ryan White CARE Act in 1990 and a founder and architect of the nationwide CAEAR Coalition (Cities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief).

"René is a force to be reckoned with," according to Paul Wisotzky, President of the Board of Directors of Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation. "He is tireless, non-judgmental and respectful of those he works with and has an uncanny ability to bring people together and get things done."

René commented on Pangaea's role in mobilizing the international effort to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries: "There are a number of dedicated organizations and government agencies working hard to gain traction in the fight against AIDS, but until recently, resources have been extremely limited. Now that money is starting to come into the pipeline, the immediate challenge is to build local medical and social infrastructures that can support treatment, care, and prevention efforts. With years of experience funding and building successful treatment programs in the U.S., the Pangaea staff is able to provide the financial, medical and management expertise necessary to help create, maintain and replicate successful treatment programs."

Prior to joining SFAF, René worked as a health communications specialist at the Stanford University Center for Research in Disease Prevention from 1982 to 1989. He also had experience working in television news as a journalist and field producer for PBS. René holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley.