Geneva, 30 September 2021 – I am deeply saddened by the passing of Girindre Beeharry, who represented the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Unitaid’s Board, a position he held for several years. His memory remains very much alive. I would like to pay tribute to his clear-sightedness – the sharpness of his analyses went hand-in-hand with his humanity and his sense of humour. I wish to recognize and celebrate Girindre’s commitment to global public health. Through his unwavering dedication, he enabled Unitaid to move forward and find new solutions for people who need access to prevention, diagnostics, and treatments.

On behalf of everyone at Unitaid, our deepest sympathies and our most sincere condolences to Girindre’s family and to his daughter in particular.

Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid

About Unitaid
Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

Media contact

Hervé Verhoosel, Unitaid, Geneva | verhooselh@unitaid.who.int | tel. +44 77 29 618 634

Maggie Zander, Unitaid, Geneva | zanderm@unitaid.who.int | tel. +41 79 593 17 74