Among many qualifications and experiences, Dr. Bertozzi notably served as the World Health Organization’s director of the Global Programme on AIDS.

In a statement released by the foundation, president of the GHP Dr. Tachi Yamada said, “His intimate knowledge of the medicine, science, economics and policy of HIV will help make this important portfolio have the most impact.”

Dr. Bertozzi will lead a large and influential group. Since its establishment in 1994, the Gates Foundation has invested nearly $1.5 billion in the struggle against the AIDS epidemic. On July 20, the budget for India was raised to $338 million, an increase of $80 million.

Despite such generous initiatives, the Gates Foundation has faced several criticisms. An article in The Lancet in May 2009 questioned the organization’s approach to improving global health. The foundation was criticized for funding grants that “do not reflect the burden of disease endured by those in deepest poverty” and for focusing on malaria and HIV/AIDS instead.

Forbes magazine specifically addressed GHP’s Avahan chapter in India. The foundation was blamed for failing each of its three program goals—arresting the spread of HIV, expanding the program to the entire nation, and developing a self-sufficiency model. In addition, the article claimed the foundation was leaving and handing over the reigns to a governmental organization with a much smaller budget.

In response to the Forbes criticism, President Yamada insisted that the foundation’s goals were misrepresented and that it was not ending Avahan. Yamada also stressed the foundation’s role in preventing hundreds of thousands of people from contracting HIV. He points out that many long-term effects have yet to become evident.

To read the article on Dr. Bertozzi’s selection, please visit the Gates Foundation Web site. To read the Forbes article, please visit the Forbes India Web site.