>>8844901 (lb)
>>8845006 (lb)
This came out less than a month before the pandemic.
PEPFAR teams complain of 'dictatorial,' 'directive,' and 'autocratic' leadership
By Michael Igoe // 14 February 2020
WASHINGTON — In an audit published Thursday, the U.S. State Department’s Office of Inspector General described wide-ranging concerns about the management approach taken by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy Birx, which provides leadership for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
The independent watchdog pointed to multiple complaints from members of PEPFAR’s country teams, who cited unrealistic targets, an unwillingness by PEPFAR’s leaders to hear differences of opinion, and a “dictatorial” approach by OGAC Birx to country planning. The audit attributed these concerns “to OGAC leadership Birx not effectively applying department leadership and management principles.”
Since its creation by President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR has channeled more than $80 billion to the fight against HIV in more than 50 countries. The initiative is currently led by Deborah Birx, who was appointed U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator by President Barack Obama in 2014 and retained in her position by President Donald Trump.
“Sometimes decisions are made without clear rationale other than ‘[the Global AIDS Coordinator] Birx told you to.”
— “Audit of the Department of State’s Coordination and Oversight of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,” quoting a country team member
“In the last 2 years, there has been no negotiation with the country. OGAC Birx has set the targets using . . . estimates. It is ‘take it or leave it.’ The targets have not been negotiable. [We] have hardly achieved the targets because they are unrealistic,” another respondent was quoted as saying.
https://www.devex.com/news/pepfar-teams-complain-of-dictatorial-directive-and-autocratic-leadership-96576