Erik is a medical doctor with more than 20 years experience in specialized disease control programs (TB and leprosy) in Africa, Asia and South America. He has experience in all aspects of TB control programs, specifically in program management, TB/HIV, PPM, M&E, evaluations, implementation research, capacity building, and laboratory EQA. Erik has a strong focus on achieving practical results and bridging the gaps between policy and practice. As a medical doctor Erik has worked in Nigeria (7 years) and in Indonesia (4 years). He has also worked for 11 years as a medical advisor and was also the coordinator of a major project in Bangladesh concerning a large private provider of health services, partly focusing on establishing a poor-inclusive provider-based health insurance. He was also a board member of the Task Force Health Care, a Dutch foundation that brings together the medical industry, knowledge institutions, the Dutch government and NGOs.