World-leading virologist appointed to head new African Union-based public health body

GENEVA, 23 December 2016—John Nkengasong has been named as the first director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the Africa Union, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which will provide strategic direction and promote public health practice within Member States.

“Public health is essential to the growth and development of Africa and a basic human right. I cannot think of someone better qualified to lead the new Africa CDC,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS. “Concerted and coordinated action is needed to overcome the unnecessary burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases across the African continent. We look forward to working with the new director to end AIDS as a public health threat, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build the future we want for Africa through the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”

The Africa CDC aims to establish early warning and response surveillance platforms to address health emergencies quickly and effectively. It will support Member States in country-level hazard mapping and risk assessments, and emergency response planning. The institution will also work to prevent disease by strengthening health systems and by addressing communicable and non-communicable diseases, environmental health and neglected tropical diseases.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.