FXB Foundation - François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard
A VISIONARY COMMITMENT
The François-Xavier Bagnoud Centre for Health and Human Rights was founded and endowed in 1993 by Albina du Boisrouvray, in partnership with its first director, Dr. Jonathan Mann. Dr. Mann, a pioneer in the fight against AIDS and an ardent defender of the link between health and human rights, shared Albina's vision of protecting the most vulnerable, especially children.
Before they met, Albina du Boisrouvray had heard of Mann's work at the World Health Organization, and saw him as "a warrior for health and human rights, committed to saving the poorest and most discriminated against". For his part, Jonathan Mann had read about an anonymous donor funding the training of healthcare workers in pediatric AIDS. "I remember thinking how wonderful it was that such angels existed," he later confided.
As early as 1991, the François-Xavier Bagnoud Foundation supported the Global AIDS Policy Coalition at the Harvard School of Public Health, directed by Jonathan Mann. A year later, the Foundation announced a historic $20 million donation, enabling the creation of the FXB Center, the construction of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Building in Boston, and the establishment of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Chair in Health and Human Rights at Harvard.
A PIONEERING UNIVERSITY CENTER
The first academic center dedicated exclusively to the links between health and human rights, the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights takes an interdisciplinary approach to promoting equity and dignity for populations oppressed by racism, poverty and stigmatization, both nationally and internationally. It brings together a broad network of academics, educators, elected officials, government agencies, NGOs and policy-makers to demonstrate the impact of human rights violations, particularly on children.
After Jonathan Mann's untimely death, several directors continued his work, including Dr. Jim Yong Kim (2006-2009) and Dr. Jennifer Leaning (2010-2018). In 2018, Dr. Mary T. Bassett took over as director of the FXB Center after serving as New York City Health Commissioner, where she worked against structural racism affecting health inequalities. Early in her career, as a physician in Zimbabwe, she developed AIDS prevention initiatives in line with Dr. Mann's vision, which already highlighted the influence of rights - or the lack of them - on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Today, the FXB Centre continues its commitment to a world where health and human rights are inseparable, embodying the legacy of François-Xavier Bagnoud and the values defended by Albina du Boisrouvray.