| Helene D. Gayle, M.D., M.P.H | |
|---|---|
Dr. Gayle speaking at the 2007 CARE National Conference and Celebration |
|
| Born | Buffalo, NY |
| Residence | Atlanta, GA |
| Citizenship | U.S.A. |
| Education | Barnard College (B.A.), University of Pennsylvania (M.D.), Johns Hopkins University (M.P.H.) |
| Organization | CARE USA |
| Title | President and CEO |
| Website | |
| http://www.change.org/changemakers/view/helene_gayle | |
Helene D. Gayle, M.D., M.P.H., is currently president and CEO of CARE, a leading humanitarian aid organization fighting global poverty.[1] Before joining CARE in 2006, Dr. Gayle directed the HIV, TB, and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), focusing primarily on HIV/AIDS.[2] Dr. Gayle also served as chair of the Obama administration's Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.[3] She has been called one of the top female leaders and global thinkers in the world.[4][5]
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Helene D. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.H. at Johns Hopkins University. She is board certified in pediatrics, completing a residency in pediatric medicine at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[6]
Helene D. Gayle is president and CEO of CARE USA, a leading international humanitarian organization with approximately 10,000 staff whose poverty fighting programs have reached 82 million people in 87 countries.[7] Since joining CARE USA[8] in 2006, Dr. Gayle has led efforts to reinforce CARE’s commitment to empowering girls and women to bring lasting change to poor communities. Under her leadership, CARE has strengthened its focus on long term impact, increased policy and advocacy efforts and deepened connections between poverty and the environment. Gayle has leveraged the power of CARE’s corporate and NGO partners to significantly expand CARE’s reach across the globe.
An expert on health, global development and humanitarian issues, she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), focused primarily on combating HIV/AIDS. She was appointed as the first director of the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, and achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Gayle also served as the AIDS coordinator and chief of the HIV/AIDS division for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Dr. Gayle then directed the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues.[9]
Under Dr. Gayle's leadership, CARE has introduced three signature programs as part of its "Pathway to Empowerment." "Mothers Matter" focuses on child and maternal health, seeking to improve access to safe pregnancy and delivery services for 30 million women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by 2015. "Power Within" focuses on girls' education, seeking to empower 10 million girls around the world to access quality primary education and gain leadership skills by 2015. And "Access Africa" focuses on microfinancing, seeking to ensure that 30 million people in 39 countries have access to a set of basic financial services by the next decade.[10]
Dr. Gayle serves on several boards, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Rockefeller Foundation, Colgate-Palmolive Company and ONE. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Public Health Association. Dr. Gayle also chaired the Obama Administration's Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and currently serves on the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.
Dr. Gayle has been named one of Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Global Thinkers,"[11], Newsweek's top 10 "Women in Leadership,"[12] and the Wall Street Journal's "50 Women to Watch,"[13] as well as one of the "100 Most Influential Atlantans"[14] and the "100 Most Influential Georgians."[15]
Dr. Gayle has published numerous scientific articles and been featured by media outlets like The New York Times,[16] The Washington Post,[17] ForbesWoman,[18] Glamour,[19] O magazine,[20] National Public Radio,[21] and CNN.[22] Starting in June 2009, Gayle served as co-chair of the Center for Strategic & International Studies Commission on Smart Global Health Policy [23] alongside four star Admiral William J. Fallon.
Her contributions have been honored with awards from Columbia University, Spelman College, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill, the U.S. Public Health Service and Bryn Mawr College among others. She has received numerous honorary degrees and holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University.