Leadership
Executive Director - Dr Lucica Ditiu
Dr Lucica Ditiu is a Romanian physician and public health expert who has acted as the Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership since May 2011. Under her leadership, the organization has acquired a clear identity as one of the most influential advocates of universal health coverage and a world without TB.
Dr Ditiu has devoted her career to supporting people affected by TB, especially those who are the most vulnerable, stigmatized and living in impoverished communities. A specialist in lung diseases, she began practicing medicine in 1992 in Romania. She commenced her global humanitarian career with the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2000 as a Medical Officer for TB in Albania, Kosovo and FYR Macedonia within the Disaster and Preparedness Unit. She has worked since then in the WHO and UN system at every level – national, subregional, regional, and global.
Dr Ditiu eschews inflexible rules, hierarchy, and formal meetings. Under her watch, the Stop TB Partnership has evolved into a lean, accountable, innovative, and progressive operation that continuously challenges the status quo.
Dr Ditiu is relentless in pushing for the inclusion of all people affected by TB in the programs and activities of the Stop TB Partnership. Her motto stems from the lyrics of a Romanian band: "The day you give up is the day you die." To date, she has not given up on her quest to end TB in her lifetime.
Deputy Executive Director - Suvanand Sahu
Suvanand Sahu is the Deputy Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat in Geneva.
He is a strong advocate for innovations in prevention and care, universal and equitable access, and people-focussed work.
Sahu is a medical doctor and public health specialist with over 2 decades of experience in TB alone.
He has been with Stop TB in Geneva since 2009. Prior to Stop TB he worked in the forefront of the battle against TB for several years in India with WHO and contributed to the work of WHO in India and South-East Asia. He has also worked on polio eradication in India.
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The Secretariat is led by the Executive Director, who is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the Secretariat's work plan and for facilitating achievement of the aims and decisions of the Board. The work of the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat is guided by the Operational Strategy 2016-2022, which has four strategic goals:
- Facilitate meaningful and sustained collaboration among partners;
- Increase political engagement by world leaders and key influencers to double external financing for TB;
- Promote innovation in TB diagnosis and care through TB REACH and other innovative mechanisms and platforms; and
- Ensure universal access to quality-assured TB medicines and diagnostics in countries served by the Global Drug Facility (GDF).
This is the organigram of the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat structure as of 1 August 2022. It is a living document and will be updated quarterly as needed.
