Dr Nathan Shaffer

Dr Shaffer has more than 30 years of experience in HIV and PMTCT, starting from the groundbreaking AZT “short-course” clinical trial in Thailand in 1998 to leading the CDC PMTCT PEPFAR team (2003-2009) and serving as PMTCT technical lead for WHO, Geneva (2009-2015). 

At WHO, he organized the first global meeting on EMTCT (2010); led the guidelines development for “Option B+”, which helped lead the way to “treat all”; supported global expansion of PMTCT through the IATT, the Global Plan and technical assistance to many country programs; and helped develop the global guidance on EMTCT (“Orange Book”).

He has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He was co-chair of the EMTCT GVAC 2015-2018 and continues as a GVAC member. He received his MD from Columbia University (1982, New York), is board certified in internal medicine (Boston City Hospital), and began his CDC career with the EIS epidemiology training program.

He is particularly interested in the sustainability of PMTCT programs, the expansion to include syphilis and hepatitis B, the integration between HIV and MNCH programs, and the documentation of successes and lessons learned for public health impact.