A panel discussion with Mead Over and Elizabeth Lule
Sponsored by WBG History Thematic Group and HNP Thematic Group
James Wolfensohn transformed HIV/AIDS from a narrow health concern into a central development and security priority. As the first World Bank President to address the UN Security Council on HIV/AIDS, he elevated the issue to the highest political level, reframing it as a threat to economic stability and human security. Under his leadership, the Bank committed $2.46 billion (1995–2005), launched the Africa Multi-Country AIDS Program, mainstreamed multi-sectoral responses, and helped catalyze the Global Fund. Wolfensohn reduced stigma and mobilized political commitment globally. Yet operational weaknesses—overestimated capacity, weak M&E, rapid scale-up pressures, and limited targeting of high-risk groups—constrained effectiveness despite the Bank’s institutional innovation
Moderator: Tawhid Nawaz, Co-Chair, Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) Thematic Group.
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