The Union Achievers is a series of profiles highlighting the outstanding work of individual Union staff, consultants and members around the world. Through their creativity, expertise and dedication, they have made invaluable contributions to public health challenges from TB control to tobacco control - and saved countless lives in the process. They exemplify the values and traditions that have made The Union the extraordinary organisation that it is today – and has been for nearly a century. You can read some of their inspiring stories below:
“Being part of The Union is being part of a movement. A movement focused on advancing solutions to improve the health of people living in poverty.”
“I have been a member of The Union for a number of years. My membership means I am part of an influential network of talented…
“Each year millions of people with tuberculosis are missed and undiagnosed. I want to help find everyone with TB. No-one should be missed.”
“The truth is that TB is a curable disease that nobody should die from, yet it is the world´s largest infectious disease killer…
“The Union resonates strongly with me. My daughter was diagnosed with TB at two. She was cured but so many people are not.”
“Being a volunteer in Myanmar is so important in the fight to end TB, we play a critical role in community healthcare,” says Ma…
“I am grateful for each day that I can be of service and be part of a unique organisation.”
Shirley Frundt is The Union’s Global Human Resources (HR) Coordinator based in Paris.
She has over 25 years’ experience…
"My role gives me an opportunity to make a difference in the world"
Selma Dar Berger is currently Global Project Portfolio Officer based in Paris.
Originally from India, currently the…
“You feel better when you give, when you contribute. I would say being a member is a two-way partnership.”
Anete Trajman is Secretary of the Union’s TB Section. Based in Brazil, she is also about to become Programme Secretary for 2018…
“TB have an image problem. But once you get to know a person who had TB, you will see how powerful their stories are.”
Ingrid Schoeman, Union Achiever Profile, August 2018
The horrific experience of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) gave…
“Our work is for long-term benefit of the people of Myanmar. We are building structures, systems, skills and expertise in the public health sector – so the investment will remain.”
Dr Thet Ko Aung has worked with The Union for over 10 years, ever since he graduated as a medical doctor from the Mandalay…
“In Zimbabwe, we have shifted perception of TB from a hard-sell story to a necessary subject that needs to be talked about.”
As Communications Officer for The Union’s Zimbabwe Office, Paidamoyo Magaya works on the front line of some of the world’s most…
The right to life – Bangladesh’s tobacco control laws designed to uphold a fundamental principle
Syed Mahbubul Alam is The Union’s technical advisor on tobacco control for Bangladesh. He began his battle for tobacco control…
“People – and their children – need our projects to continue, uninterrupted, and at a high quality. Without consistent funding, that becomes precarious and lives and livelihoods are threatened”
John Paul Dongo, Acting Director, The Union Uganda Office, and ‘Achiever’ profile for March
John Paul Dongo is leading…
“I started to apply the short treatment regimen in my new country. Most of my patients are now cured and we maintain a durable friendship with them and their families.”
Alberto Piubello, Co-ordinator, The Union’s Drug Resistant TB Programme
Treating patients under a mango tree in Niger…
“Call to Action has advocacy at its core. Through innovative campaigning, it has contributed to the political commitment we are now seeing in India.”
Dr Jamie Tonsing, Regional Director, The Union SE Asia, and The Union's 'Achiever' profile for February.
As Regional…
“In Myanmar, The Union works with tens of thousands of patients whose lives depend on the treatment services we provide.” Nick Southern, Country Director, Myanmar
Ian Nicholas ‘Nick’ Southern has been Country Director for The Union’s office in Myanmar since January 2016. Originally from…
“TB is a wholly modern epidemic, and it’s one of the most fascinating, horrifying, alarming things that any person could ever stand to learn about.”
As Director of Policy and Strategy, Paul Jensen represents The Union – and, by extension, tuberculosis (TB) and other lung…
“I’ve always been passionate about the role of community in detecting and treating disease. When I was diagnosed with TB, my passion just got stronger.”
In 2015, The Union appointed Nomampondo – Noma - Barnabas as its Civil Society Liaison Officer, to build bridges with members…
“The Union has found an ingenious way to bring together experts to find global solutions for TB – nowhere is this more evident than in zoonotic TB”
Almost a year ago, one of the runaway news stories at the 47th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Liverpool was the…
“The strength of The Union is its people”, Nathalie Emaille-Léotard, Global Director of Human Resources
As Global Director of Human Resources for The Union, Nathalie Emaille-Léotard is responsible for the overall strategic…
“My aim is that The Union becomes the industry ‘go-to’ for all lung health training and education,” Marianne Gaye-Ayrault, Global Training and Education Director
Since Marianne’s tenure as The Union’s Global Training and Education Director began, The Union’s training programmes have…
"The Union World Conference is absolutely central to how evidence around TB and lung health is disseminated.”
In May, The Union’s Coordinating Committee of Scientific Activities (CCSA) gathered in Guadalajara, Mexico, to debate and craft…
“The Union is such a rich environment, no two days are alike.”
Traditionally, April sees The Union’s annual Board retreat, when members of the Board of Directors arrive in Paris for a week…
Kavita Ayyagari, Project Director, Challenge TB, India: How innovation and partnerships are confronting TB in India
Kavita Ayyagari joined The Union in 2015 with experience working in the profit and non-profit sectors, including periods…
Aziz Bouchelaghem, Global Account Controller: Driving progress and projects forward
“Training in Financial Accounting does not prepare you for a career in the non-profit sector…only real-life experience does…
Daouda Adam: a consumer rights advocate mobilised for tobacco control in Africa
At last year’s global forum for progressing tobacco control, Daouda Adam was nominated by his peers to represent the interests…