Eric Goosby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Goosby
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| 3rd United States Global AIDS Coordinator | |
| In office June 2009 – November 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Mark R. Dybul |
| Succeeded by | Deborah Birx |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1952 (age 72–73) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) University of California, San Francisco (MD) |
Eric Goosby (born in 1952) is an American doctor and expert in public health. Public health officials work to protect and improve the health of people and their communities. He is a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Dr. Goosby has held many important roles. He was a special representative for the United Nations, working to fight the disease tuberculosis. From 2009 to 2013, he was the United States Global AIDS Coordinator. In this job, he led America's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS around the world. He was in charge of a major program started by President Obama called President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
In 2020, he was chosen to be part of President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board. This group of experts helped plan the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Early Life and Schooling
Eric Goosby was born and grew up in San Francisco. His father, Dr. Zuretti Goosby, was a dentist and politician.
Goosby went to Princeton University and earned a degree in Biology. He then went to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where he became a medical doctor (MD) in 1978. He stayed at UCSF to continue his training in internal medicine and infectious diseases, which are sicknesses caused by germs.
Career in Medicine and Public Health
Dr. Goosby has spent more than 35 years fighting HIV/AIDS. He began his work in the early 1980s at San Francisco General Hospital. This was when the HIV/AIDS illness was first appearing.
He became a leader at the hospital's AIDS Clinic. He helped create new ways to provide medical care for people with HIV/AIDS. He helped open three special medical centers to make it easier for patients to get the treatment they needed.
Working for the U.S. Government
In 1991, Goosby started working for the U.S. government. He became the director of HIV Services for a part of the government that manages health resources. He was in charge of the Ryan White CARE Act, a law that provides money to help people with HIV/AIDS. He made sure the money went to cities and states that needed it most.
Later, he became the director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. He gave advice on how the government should spend money to fight HIV/AIDS. He also worked with the U.S. Congress on laws related to the illness.
In 1997, Goosby also worked at the White House as the top advisor to the President on HIV/AIDS.
Helping Countries Around the World
After leaving his government job, Goosby became the CEO of the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation from 2001 to 2009. With this group, he helped countries like Rwanda, South Africa, and China create plans to treat more people with HIV/AIDS.
He became an expert in helping countries build stronger healthcare systems. This work made sure that life-saving medicines could be delivered to the people who needed them.
In 2015, the United Nations asked him to be a Special Envoy on Tuberculosis. His job was to raise awareness and support for the global fight against this serious lung disease.
Leading the PEPFAR Program
In 2009, Goosby was appointed to lead the PEPFAR. This is a huge U.S. program that helps save the lives of those suffering from HIV/AIDS worldwide.
When he started, Goosby said his goals were to:
- Focus more on preventing the spread of HIV.
- Work closely with other countries.
- Make sure countries could lead their own HIV/AIDS programs.
- Strengthen healthcare systems in general.
By 2023, PEPFAR was helping nearly 20.5 million people around the world get treatment for HIV. The program has been very successful in helping people with HIV live longer, healthier lives.
