• Mark Dybul previously led the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2013 to 2017, and steered implementation of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from 2006 to 2009 

• The Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment fell $5.36 billion short of its target 

• Dybul, the new Executive Director, is due to take office in the first quarter of 2027, succeeding Peter Sands, who has led the Global Fund since 2018 

Washington, DC – October 28, 2026 – The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has appointed Mark Dybul as its next Executive Director. The ONE Campaign welcomes the appointment. 

Dybul led the Global Fund as Executive Director from 2013 to 2017. Previously, he served as the US Global AIDS Coordinator, leading the implementation of PEPFAR. In 2016, during his previous term, donors pledged US$12.9 billion to the Fifth Replenishment in Montreal, at the time the largest amount ever pledged at a Global Fund replenishment conference. 

The Eighth Replenishment, co-hosted by South Africa and the UK in Johannesburg in November 2025, closed at US$12.64 billion, short of its US$18 billion target. 

Mark Green, CEO of the ONE Campaign, said: 

“The Global Fund is one of the most effective lifesaving investments in history. We thank Peter Sands for his service, and warmly welcome Mark Dybul’s appointment as the new Executive Director. He has led this institution before and helped implement PEPFAR, so he understands both the science and the politics of financing this fight. We congratulate Mark and look forward to working with him. 

“He takes over at a critical moment. The Eighth Replenishment fell more than $5 billion short of its target, and significant donors are cutting their aid budgets. Deadly outbreaks have not stopped during these political debates. The Global Fund will need to make every dollar count to help countries finance strong health systems.

“To build on the phenomenal gains of the last two decades, leadership at the top of the Global Fund is only part of the answer. Donors must honor the pledges they have made and work with the new Executive Director to close the gap.” 

###

Notes to Editors: 

The selection process. The Global Fund launched its search for a new Executive Director in February 2026. On September 30, it named five finalists: Mark Dybul; Richard Hatchett (outgoing CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [CEPI]); Lutz Hegemann (President of Global Health at Novartis); Joyce Msuya (Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA]); and Janti Soeripto (President and CEO of Save the Children US). The Board made its appointment at its 56th meeting in Geneva on October 28. The new Executive Director will take office in the first quarter of 2027. 

About Mark Dybul. Dybul led the Global Fund from 2013 to 2017 and previously served as US Global AIDS Coordinator, leading implementation of PEPFAR.  

The Eighth Replenishment. The Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit took place on Friday, November 21, 2025, in Johannesburg, co-hosted by South Africa and the UK. The US pledged US$4.6 billion, down from US$6 billion in the previous replenishment. The UK pledged £850 million, a 15% reduction from its £1 billion pledge in 2022. 

Results. According to the Global Fund’s 2026 Results Report, health programs supported by the partnership have saved 72 million lives since 2002, and 26.9 million people were on antiretroviral therapy in 2025 in countries where it invests. 

Outgoing Executive Director. Peter Sands began his term as Executive Director in March 2018. In 2024, the Board extended his term to the end of 2026. 

About the ONE Campaign: 

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Since 2004, we have helped secure more than $1 trillion in new investments to build a safer, more prosperous world. Our trusted advocacy combines hard-hitting data, grassroots activism, and political engagement to influence decision makers and drive lasting change. Learn more at ONE.org