The RAI Regional Steering Committee (RSC), chaired by Prof. Arjen Dondorp, was established in 2013 as an oversight mechanism for the RAI.

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The RSC follows the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) model as a multi-stakeholder governance body that provides strategic guidance and serves as a forum for coordination, cooperation and accountability in the implementation of the various programmes supported by the grant.

The stakeholders represented on the RSC include recipient governments, multilateral agencies, technical partners, funders, civil-society and faith-based organisations, research institutes, private sector, and affected communities.

Members of the RSC collectively take responsibility for the strategic direction and implementation of the RAI3E grant. The RSC operates according to the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism Policy and adheres to the Code of Ethical Conduct.  

The mandate of the RSC includes selecting recipient implementers, overseeing grant implementation progress against program objectives, ensuring funding is used in accordance with agreed strategic priorities, and steering emergency responses, reallocating Global Fund resources as needed.

The RSC collaborates with UNOPS (the principal recipient), national Country Coordinating Mechanisms, the Global Fund, Local Fund Agents and technical partners, and works closely with the World Health Organization.

Members of the rai regional steering committee

Chair

Prof. Arjen M. Dondorp (Chair) *
Deputy Director, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Faculty of Tropical Medicine Mahidol University

Vice Chair

Dr. Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh (Vice-Chair) *
Director-General, Department of Communicable Disease Control
Ministry of Health, Lao PDR

Cambodia
Dr. Teng Srey
Deputy Director, Department of Communicable Disease Control
Ministry of Health

Dr. Huy Rekol 
Director, National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control
Ministry of Health

Lao PDR
Dr. Khampheng Phongluxa *
Deputy Director General of Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute
Ministry of Health

Dr. Virasack Banouvong
Acting, Director of Center of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology
Ministry of Health

Thailand
Dr. Phusit Prakongsai
Executive Secretary, CCM
Ministry of Health

Dr. Prayuth Sudathip
Deputy Director Division of Vector Borne Diseases, 
Ministry of Health

Viet Nam
Dr. Pham Thi Minh Chau *
Deputy Director, International Cooperation Department,
Ministry of Health

Dr. Hoang Dinh Canh
Director, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology
Ministry of Health

Multilateral Organizations and WHO
Dr. Elkhan Gasimov *
Head, Elimination Unit
Global Malaria Programme
World Health Organization

Mr. Rikard Elfving
Social Development Specialist
Asian Development Bank

Dr. Ferdinal Fernando
Assistant Director, Health and Communicable Diseases Division (HCDD)
ASEAN Secretariat

Dr. Xavier Xuanhao Chan
Executive Vice President, Strategy
Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA)

Dr. Pascal Ringwald
Coordinator, Malaria Mekong Elimination
World Health Organization

Development Partners (Bilateral)
Dr. David Sintasath *
Regional Malaria Advisor
USAID/PMI

Dr. Megan Counahan
Regional Health Adviser, Australian Embassy, Phnom Penh
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

Dr. Clarisse Veylon-Hervet
Regional Counsellor in global health, South-East Asia
Embassy of France to Thailand

China
Dr. Xiao Ning
Deputy Director, National Institute of Parasitic Disease
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Non-Government Sector
Prof. Maxine Whittaker *
CSO Platform Representative

Dr. Josselyn Neukom 
CSO Platform Representative

Dr. Jonathan Cox 
Senior Program Officer – Malaria
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

RSC Secretariat
Mr. Matteo Dembech
RSC Executive Secretary

*current RSC Executive Committee Member

Guiding principles of the rai regional steering committee

  1. Ensuring that grant implementation is focused, fast and flexible.
  2. Ensuring access to high quality data.
  3. Enabling real partnership: thinking big and thinking big together.
  4. Creating political leverage and joint funding platforms through linking with regional Asia Pacific organizations.
  5. Complementing the role of national Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs).
  6. Ensuring a transparent process for engagement of the right implementing partners.

Regional steering committee Secretariat

The RSC Secretariat was established in September 2014, under a hosting agreement with the World Health Organization.

Its role is to support the functioning of the RSC by arranging regular meetings, facilitating coordination and collaboration with governments and partners, and supporting the RSC Independent Monitoring Panel.

The RSC Secretariat is led by the RSC Executive Secretary and is staffed by a small number of permanent and temporary staff.

Meetings