Joan Fahy has worked at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine since 1978 and with David Molyneux since 1991 and hence has been involved with the Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre since its inception. Her role is broad but is essentially to coordinate and manage the activities of the Centre since 2000 and more recently the Executive Group of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lyphatic Filariasis.

The coordination and management of strategies to build partnerships is key to a successful Global Alliance and Programme, therefore her work with partner countries and other partners is a priority.

Management of the Centre and Executive Group’s finances with annual budgets for the five years, 2005/2010, in excess of £700,000 per annum is a challenge in its diversity and in conjunction with this Joan coordinates the DFID/GSK/Executive Group/LFSC commitments, deliverables and events associated with the Global Programme and Alliance. She is also responsible for all the literature which emanates from the Centre and the Executive Group. Attendance at the regional meetings each year provides an excellent opportunity to catch up with partners and hear of the current activities of the endemic country programmes specifically of interest to the Centre are, of course, those countries where LFSC/DFID support is provided.

Since April 2004 the establishment of the Executive Group and its Secretariat base in Liverpool has provided an expansion to Joan’s activities. In addition to working on a day-to-day basis with the Chair and other members, a high priority for the Executive Group is fundraising and much support has been provided to the global fundraising team.