Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the appointment of 24 new members to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). PACHA’s chair, Helene Gayle, MD, MPH, was appointed last August.

The council—comprised of researchers, services providers and community leaders from across the United States, including people living with HIV—supplies advice, information and recommendations to the president on domestic and global HIV/AIDS policy issues. PACHA will play an important role in the formation of a national HIV/AIDS strategy, and it supports the primary goals of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

“I’m pleased to have a new group of experts joining PACHA, and I look forward to hearing from the council about our continued efforts to prevent the spread of HIV infections in the United States and to provide care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS around the world,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.

PACHA’s first meeting with the Obama administration was held February 2 in Washington, DC.

The new members include:

A. Cornelius Baker

Praveen Basaviah

Dawn Averitt Bridge

Douglas Brooks

The Reverend Calvin Butts III, DMin

Humberto Cruz

Ernest Darkoh, MD, MPH
 
Kevin Frost

Patricia Garcia, MD

Robert Greenwald

Kathie Hiers

David Holtgrave, PhD

Michael Horberg, MD, MAS

Ejay Jack

Jack Jackson Jr.

Naina Khanna

Jim Kim, MD, PhD

Anita McBride

Douglas Michels

Rosie Pérez

Mario J. Pérez

Malika Saada Saar, M.Ed, JD

Sandra Torres-Rivera