[Spotlight originally posted June, 2011]
Prof. Ian Sanne is an associate professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Adjunct Professor, Boston University School of International Development and Health. He is the founder and Division Head of the Clinical HIV Research Unit (1997), which is active in the development, of transformative clinical research into new diagnostic tests for, and the treatment of HIV, tuberculosis and infectious diseases. Prof. Sanne is also the founding Division Head of the Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Unit (2002), a collaborative effort with Boston University’s School of International Health. He is the Principal Investigator of a Clinical Trials Unit that addresses adult treatment, pediatric treatment, preventing mother-to-child transmission, HIV prevention, and microbicide research. Additionally Prof. Sanne is the founding and Managing Director of Right to Care (RTC-2002), a not-for profit company that has implemented USAID/PEPFAR funding in support of the national antiretroviral therapy rollout program for HIV/AIDS treatment. Since 2001, RTC has supported over 135,000 patients on antiretroviral therapy, 150,000 patients in care and support, conducted 250,000 Voluntary Counseling and Testing sessions a year, and trained over 5000 health care workers. RTC focuses on providing access to care through high quality, innovative treatment solutions in both the public and private sectors. A for-profit subsidiary Right to Care Health Services (2008) was formed to address HIV- and TB-related activities in the private sector. Prof. Sanne has 50 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of HIV/TB and Health Economics Research.