John Nkengasong Explained

John Nkengasong
Office:5th United States Global AIDS Coordinator
United States Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy
President:Joe Biden
Term Start:June 13, 2022
Predecessor:Deborah Birx
Office2:1st Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
Chair2:Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Moussa Faki
Term Start2:2016
Term End2:May 2022
Predecessor2:Post established
Successor2:Jean Kaseya
Birth Place:Douala, Cameroon
Education:University of Yaoundé I (BS)
Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (MS)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (MSc)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (PhD)

John N. Nkengasong is a Cameroonian-American virologist serving as the Global AIDS Coordinator in the Biden administration since 2022 and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy since 2023. He previously worked as the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 to 2022, as well as at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nkengasong was appointed the WHO Special Envoy for Africa.

Early life and education

Nkengasong is from Cameroon.[2] He became interested in biology, chemistry and mathematics whilst he was at high school.

Nkengasong earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Yaoundé I. During his undergraduate degree he met Peter Piot, who encouraged him to visit Antwerp as a graduate student in virology. He ended up studying biomedical sciences at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp.[3] After completing his second degree, he moved to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where he earned a master's degree in medical sciences. After earning his master's degree, Nkengasong then joined the research group of Guido van der Groen and Piot, eventually earning a doctorate degree in medical sciences (virology) from Vrije Universiteit Brusse.[4] His doctoral research was the first to characterize all of the genetic subtypes of HIV in Africa. He later completed a management qualification at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.[5]

Research and career

Early beginnings

In 1993, Nkengasong joined the World Health Organization, where he served as Chief of Virology.[6] He was based in the Collaborating Centre for HIV/AIDS Diagnostics in the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp. He has worked on the diagnosis, pathogenesis and drug resistance of HIV/AIDS.[7]

US CDC, 1994–2016

After a couple of years, Nkengasong moved to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he worked as Chief of Virology in Abidjan. In preparation for this job he was trained in Berkeley as part of the John E. Fogarty International Center.[8] Nkengasong worked alongside Mike Hendry, who was running the HIV diagnosis program at the California State Laboratory.

In 2011, Nkengasong helped to establish the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM).[9] The ASLM looks to support African researchers in developing their laboratory medicine capabilities and ability to care for patients.[10]

Africa CDC, 2016–2022

In 2016, Nkengasong joined the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as its inaugural Director.[11] [12] At the Africa CDC, Nkengasong oversees the Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Networks (RISLNET) with a focus on empowering local leadership.[13] [14]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nkengasong was appointed a special envoy to the director general of the World Health Organization.[15] In this capacity, he was responsible for amplifying the messages of the Director General as well as providing strategic advice on preparedness.[16] Nkengasong led Africa's response to coronavirus disease, including training a team of young responders; the African Healthcare Volunteer Workforce.[17] [18] Protecting the African population from coronavirus disease is complicated by challenges such as difficulties in testing in regions affected by conflicts and issues with social distancing in urban slums.[19]

In the preparations for the Global Health Summit hosted by the European Commission and the G20 in May 2021, Nkengasong co-chaired the event's High-Level Scientific Panel.[20]

Biden administration

On September 27, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Nkengasong to be the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Health Diplomacy and Global AIDS Coordinator in the Department of State. Nkengasong's initial nomination expired at the end of the year and was returned to President Biden on January 3, 2022.[21]

President Biden resent his nomination the following day. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings on Nkengasong's nomination on March 15, 2022. The committee favorably reported his nomination on May 4, 2022. On May 5, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[22] [23] He was sworn in on June 13, 2022.[24]

On August 1, 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken chose Nkengasong to lead the newly formed Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD), focused on coordinating international responses to infectious diseases.

On 23 May 2024, Nkengasong was among the guests invited to the state dinner hosted by Biden in honor of President William Ruto at the White House.[25]

Other activities

Awards and honours

Select publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-01-28 . Will the controversial appointment of Africa CDC's Director General discredit the young institution? - Pan African Review . 2024-01-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240128131609/https://panafricanreview.com/will-the-controversial-appointment-of-africa-cdcs-director-general-discredit-the-young-institution/ . 2024-01-28 .
  2. Web site: P³ #7 Autumn - Winter 2018. 2020-08-26. Issuu. 7 September 2018 . en.
  3. Web site: John Nkengasong. 2020-08-26. IAVI. en.
  4. Web site: Dr. John N. Nkengasong, MSc, PhD Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia African Union . 2024-02-01 . au.int.
  5. Web site: John Nkengasong. 2020-08-26. Africa CDC. en-GB. 2020-09-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921102148/https://africacdc.org/people/john-nkengasong/. dead.
  6. Web site: 2017-01-12. John Nkengasong. 2020-08-26. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. en. 2020-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811050758/http://www.healthdata.org/about/john-nkengasong. dead.
  7. Web site: John Nkengasong. 2020-08-26. World Economic Forum. en.
  8. Web site: Q and A with Dr John Nkengasong, director of Africa CDC and former Fogarty trainee - Fogarty International Center @ NIH. 2020-08-26. Fogarty International Center. en-US.
  9. Nkengasong. John N.. Mbopi-Keou. Francois-Xavier. Peeling. Rosanna W.. Yao. Katy. Zeh. Clement E.. Schneidman. Miriam. Gadde. Renuka. Abimiku. Alash'le. Onyebujoh. Philip. Birx. Deborah. Hader. Shannon. 2018-11-01. Laboratory medicine in Africa since 2008: then, now, and the future. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. English. 18. 11. e362–e367. 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30120-8. 1473-3099. 29980383. free.
  10. Nkengasong. John N.. Mbopi-Keou. Francois-Xavier. Peeling. Rosanna W.. Yao. Katy. Zeh. Clement E.. Schneidman. Miriam. Gadde. Renuka. Abimiku. Alash'le. Onyebujoh. Philip. Birx. Deborah. Hader. Shannon. 2018-11-01. Laboratory medicine in Africa since 2008: then, now, and the future. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. English. 18. 11. e362–e367. 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30120-8. 1473-3099. 29980383. free.
  11. Web site: Dr. John Nkengasong named first director of Africa CDC African Union. 2020-08-26. au.int.
  12. Web site: Africa CDC and the New Public Health Order. 2020-08-26. LSHTM. en.
  13. Nkengasong. John N.. Maiyegun. Olawale. Moeti. Matshidiso. 2017-03-01. Establishing the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: responding to Africa's health threats. The Lancet Global Health. English. 5. 3. e246–e247. 10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30025-6. 2214-109X. 28108138. free.
  14. Nkengasong. John N.. 2019-03-11. How Africa can quell the next disease outbreaks. Nature. en. 567. 7747. 147. 10.1038/d41586-019-00789-4. 30858557. 2019Natur.567..147N. 73728502. free.
  15. Web site: WHO Director-General's Special Envoys on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response. 2020-08-26. www.who.int. en.
  16. Web site: COVID-19 Live Q&A #4 with Peter Piot, John Nkengasong & Sarah Boseley. 2020-08-26. LSHTM. en.
  17. Web site: Together we can win the war against COVID-19 — Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) - World. 2020-08-26. ReliefWeb. 7 May 2020 . en.
  18. Web site: 2020-05-22. The challenges of tackling Covid-19 in Africa. 2020-08-26. European Science-Media Hub. en-GB.
  19. Web site: The Role of Africa CDC in Coordinating Public Health Responses to COVID-19 In Africa. 2020-08-26. World Bank. en.
  20. https://global-health-summit.europa.eu/panel-scientific-experts_en Global Health Summit: Panel of Scientific Experts
  21. Web site: PN1254 — John N. Nkengasong — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022) . US Congress . 3 January 2022. 25 March 2022.
  22. Web site: PN1571 — John N. Nkengasong — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022) . US Congress . 15 March 2022. 25 March 2022.
  23. Web site: UNAIDS warmly welcomes the confirmation of John Nkengasong to lead the United States global efforts to end AIDS . UNAIDS . 6 May 2022 . 6 May 2022.
  24. Web site: Dr. John N. Nkengasong . 22 August 2023 . United States Department of State.
  25. Minho Kim (23 May 2024), The Full Guest List for Biden’s State Dinner With Kenya New York Times.
  26. https://www.rki.de/EN/Content/Institute/Committees/SAB_ZIG/SAB_ZIG_Members.html Scientific Advisory Board of the Centre for International Health Protection (ZIG)
  27. https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/20220203_UAG%20biographies.pdf Advisory Group: Biographies, 3 February 2022
  28. https://www.alerrt.global/content/governance Governance
  29. https://cepi.net/about/whoweare/ Board
  30. https://www.iavi.org/about/board-of-directors/john-nkengasong Board of Directors: John Nkengasong
  31. https://www.nti.org/about/board-and-advisors/ Bio Advisory Group
  32. Web site: Virchow Prize for Global Health 2022 Laureate John N. Nkengasong .
  33. Okonjo-Iweala . Ngozi . September 15, 2021 . John Nkengasong . TIME.

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