Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., on the Death of Martin Delaney

Martin Delaney, the founder and longtime director of the HIV advocacy/education organization Project Inform, died of liver cancer at his home near San Francisco on January 23, 2009. Mr. Delaney was 63.

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said, "The NIAID community is deeply saddened by the death of Martin Delaney, a true hero in the fight against HIV. Marty worked tirelessly as an advocate for HIV-infected people, and made enormous contributions to framing and advancing the HIV/AIDS research effort at NIAID and elsewhere. His life is a testament to the power of committed advocacy and activism to advance public health."

Dr. Fauci added, "I worked closely with Marty for nearly a quarter century and will greatly miss his astute insights and advice. Many others at NIAID involved in the HIV/AIDS research effort also have benefited from his well-informed wisdom and counsel. The Institute and the AIDS community at large have lost an important colleague and good friend."

Mr. Delaney was a member of the NIAID AIDS Research Advisory Committee from 1991 to 1995, served on NIAID's National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Disease Council from 1995 to 1998, and also served in other advisory roles for the Institute. In addition, Mr. Delaney was a founding member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services panel that writes guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-infected adults and adolescents.

On January 19, 2009, Mr. Delaney received the NIAID Director's Special Recognition Award for "extraordinary contributions to framing the HIV research agenda, particularly with regard to antiretroviral drugs and access to treatment; exceptional efforts on behalf of HIV-infected people; and wise counsel while serving on NIAID advisory committees."

Dr. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.