Biography

Michel Kazatchkine is a physician, researcher, diplomat, and global health leader who has dedicated more than four decades to improving global responses to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other major public health challenges.

He studied medicine at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris and pursued advanced training in immunology at the Pasteur Institute. He subsequently completed research fellowships in London and at Harvard Medical School. Since 1984, he has served as Professor of Medicine and Immunology at Université René Descartes in Paris.

Throughout his academic career, Professor Kazatchkine has led major clinical and research programmes and has authored or co-authored hundreds of scientific publications in the fields of immunology, infectious diseases, and global health.

From 1990 to 2005, he headed the Department of Clinical Immunology at Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou in Paris and directed a major research unit within the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). Between 1998 and 2005, he also served as Director of the French National Agency for AIDS Research (ANRS), helping expand international partnerships and strengthening research efforts focused on treatment access and public health in low- and middle-income countries.

From 2005 to 2007, Professor Kazatchkine served as France’s Ambassador for HIV/AIDS and Communicable Diseases. During this period, he played an active role in advancing international cooperation on global health and contributed to initiatives aimed at expanding access to essential medicines and treatment programmes worldwide.

In 2007, he was elected Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, one of the world’s leading international financing institutions for global health. He served in this role until 2012, helping mobilise international support and resources to expand prevention, treatment, and care programmes across numerous countries.

Between 2012 and 2017, he served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In this capacity, he worked closely with governments, international organisations, civil society, and affected communities to strengthen public health responses and advocate for evidence-based policies.

Since 2018, Professor Kazatchkine has served as Special Advisor to UNAIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Global Health Centre of the Geneva Graduate Institute and a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Throughout his career, Michel Kazatchkine has consistently advocated for equitable access to healthcare, evidence-based public health policies, international cooperation, and the protection of human rights. His work has contributed to shaping global health strategies and improving access to life-saving services for vulnerable populations around the world.