Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, founded and currently directs ICAP which works in sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and in the U.S. in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations building in-country capacity for HIV prevention, care, and treatment and related issues. More than one million individuals living with HIV have gained access to HIV services and more than 500,000 have received access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy through these programs. ICAP champions a family-focused approach consistent with the one pioneered at Harlem Hospital through a multidisciplinary team of providers and based on building meaningful partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations within countries.
Dr. El-Sadr has also led efforts to support the capacity of health systems through the many programs that ICAP has established. Her work has also advanced the concepts of health systems strengthening globally for the purpose of confronting major health threats faced by communities around the world. For two decades, Dr. El-Sadr served as chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Harlem Hospital Center in New York City. In this role, she was instrumental in developing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis program focused on service, training, and research. This unique program applies a family-focused approach, uses multidisciplinary teams, and engages community members. Dr. El-Sadr has led the design and implementation of numerous studies that have furthered the understanding of the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. In 2008, Dr. El-Sadr was named a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellow and in 2009 she became a member of the Institute of Medicine.