John Nkengasong M.Sc., Ph.D.
U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
As the first-ever African leader to hold the position of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Health Diplomacy, Ambassador John Nkengasong M.Sc., Ph.D., has made significant contributions to global health efforts. In 2017, he was appointed the first director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. He led the COVID-19 response in Africa, securing 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at the height of the pandemic.
In 2021, Nkengasong was recognized as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People and received the Virchow Prize for Global Health for his dedication to improving the health and well-being of the world's most vulnerable people. Dr. Nkengasong holds a B.Sc. from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon, an M.Sc. from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, a Ph.D. from the University of Brussels and a Diploma in Leadership and Management from Harvard University.
In 2021, Nkengasong was recognized as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People and received the Virchow Prize for Global Health for his dedication to improving the health and well-being of the world's most vulnerable people. Dr. Nkengasong holds a B.Sc. from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon, an M.Sc. from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, a Ph.D. from the University of Brussels and a Diploma in Leadership and Management from Harvard University.