Dr. Nkengasong, a native of Cameroon, is the first African to hold the position and was sworn into office on June 14th.
The US government appointed former Africa CDC director Dr. John Nkengasong as ambassador-at-large and coordinator of United States government global initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on May 5, 2002. Dr. Nkengasong, a native of Cameroon, is the first African to hold the position and was sworn into office on June 14th.
In his new role, he will direct PEPFAR programs and strategies for the next phase as the current legislation ends in 2023, He will guide PEPFAR countries to deal with COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, and other emerging threats like Monkeypox..Dr. Nkengasong is a molecular virologist by training with more than three decades of experience in global health. He played a pivotal role in establishing and strengthening the viral load testing network in Africa.
