Mr Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific
Mr Steve Kraus is Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok, Thailand. He took up this position in April 2010.
Mr Kraus brings to this position over 30 years of experience in international development, humanitarian assistance programmes, sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Most recently, Mr Kraus has served as UNAIDS Global Coordinator and Chief of the HIV/AIDS Branch of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at New York, where he strengthened linkages between sexual and reproductive health and HIV. Mr. Kraus led UNFPA’s efforts on HIV prevention for women and girls, gender equality, comprehensive condom programming, adolescent sexual health and key affected populations.
Previously, he served in World Health Organization’s Global Programme on AIDS in Africa and Asia, with UNAIDS as Country Coordinator in Vietnam and Programme Adviser to the Inter-country Support Team in Asia, and later with UNDGO as the Senior HIV/AIDS Policy Adviser. With vast field experience in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Mr. Kraus was a key player in the establishment of UNAIDS; a Founding Member of the Asia Business Coalition on AIDS; initiated multi-agency programmes to combat the trafficking of women and children; and establishing national partnership forums on AIDS.
Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr Kraus served in his country’s diplomatic service, including five years in refugee, population and migration affairs, and five years with Catholic Relief Services.
He is an active member of Rotary International. He has post-graduate work in Tropical Medicine and a Master of Science from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, and under-graduate degrees in History and Philosophy from Saint Mary’s University. He is married with two children.