New IntraHealth International President Named

21 September, 2004

Chairman Dr. Jeffrey Houpt and the full Board of Directors of IntraHealth International announce the appointment of Pape Gaye as President of IntraHealth effective immediately. Gaye was appointed Deputy Director of IntraHealth (then Intrah, a program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine) in December 2002. Since the departure of IntraHealth's President in January 2004 Gaye has been Acting President.

On June 30, 2004, IntraHealth completed its first year as an independent nonprofit organization after spinning off from the School of Medicine. IntraHealth remains an affiliate of the University.

Pape Gaye has been with IntraHealth for nearly 19 years, including 16 years as Regional Director for West, Central and North Africa. "His experience developing and implementing reproductive health care projects in the field and his strong working relationships with international donors and partners have been key to the success of IntraHealth in its first year," says Dr. Houpt. "As IntraHealth expands its mission of developing innovative and effective solutions to the world's most pressing health care challenges, the Board is confident that Pape Gaye will provide strong leadership."

Before joining IntraHealth's headquarters in Chapel Hill, NC, Gaye oversaw West, Central and North African regional activities of the 10-year USAID-funded PRIME and PRIME II projects. The global projects, implemented by IntraHealth and partners, worked to improve the performance of primary providers of family planning and reproductive health services. Under Gaye's leadership, PRIME established country offices in Benin, Ghana, Mali and Rwanda. He also developed ongoing programs in Guinea and Nigeria and led Intrah's regional initiatives to apply the latest technologies to global health issues.

A native of Senegal who has spent more than 25 years working in Africa, Gaye completed a BA in linguistics and business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1980, and an MBA from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1982. A Peace Corps master trainer, Gaye directed training programs in Senegal, Gabon and Togo in the late 1970s and early '80s, and wrote and published a language course in Wolof, the national language of Senegal, which is still used by the Peace Corps. He is widely published, including frequent presentations at international conferences. With the appointment of Pape Gaye as President, IntraHealth highlights its long standing commitment to the field.

Reflecting on his new role in the organization, Gaye said, "I am thrilled and honored for the opportunity to serve an organization with such a strong and proven track record in supporting health care workers and their communities in developing countries around the world. I welcome the challenges of continuing to promote global partnership and to demonstrate its powerful impact on improving international health."

USAID's Global Health Bureau funds numerous U.S.-based international organizations to implement health programs in developing countries. IntraHealth receives central funding for global efforts from USAID's Washington, DC, office as well as country-specific project support from USAID missions in many countries.