PHR Student Blog

The importance of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was clear from the start and we recognized that our reactions would be examined by future generations. We knew that getting it “right” could help control unnecessary fear and stigma.  The effort to do that continues still as we take up the global challenge.

- Dr. Paul Volberding

Dr. Paul Volberding, Right to Health proponent

Dr. Paul Volberding is a physician who has dedicated his life to raising the standard of health and healthcare across the globe. Serving as an advisor to PHR’s Health Action AIDS Campaign, he  helped PHR become a strong voice for the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and those providing their medical care. He continues to work with PHR advising the new Global Health Action Campaign.

Through his work in Uganda, Dr. Volberding strives to realize access to affordable and acceptable healthcare for all. His work experience clearly expresses his commitment to ensuring the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for all.

Here are a few examples of how Dr. Volberding incorporates the Right to Health into his medical work:

• The Scientific Advisory Board Chair to the Infectious Disease Institute at Makerere University in Kampala Uganda. The AIDS clinic there cares for nearly 10,000 infected adults and has developed a powerful collaboration with other clinics in Kampala and in rural areas to extend the benefits of PEPFAR and Global Fund-provided medications.  A Gates Foundation grant there will also develop and compare different strategies of educating the diverse workforce desperately required in so many resource-limited settings.
• The Committee of the Institute of Medicine. The committee is seeking to improve the process of disability determinations in the US. Disability insurance is a key component of the medical safety net, and a streamlined and equitable system could help extend these benefits to a larger number of deserving individuals.
• Participation in various round-table discussions on the right to health. More recently, Dr. Volberding attended the PHR Leadership Summit: AIDS and the Right to Health during which he briefed legislative leaders in Washington DC on the continuing need to fully-fund global AIDS programs such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund.
• Role as the President of the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Disease Society of America. In that capacity, Dr. Volberding has worked to secure the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act which provides essential medical care and support services to the HIV-infected population in the US.