Dr. Jean Kaseya is the first director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. He is a Congolese medical doctor with over two decades of experience in public health, working at both international institutions and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His candidacy was approved by African heads of state in Addis Ababa during the African Union summit over the weekend.
Kaseya joins Africa CDC at a moment of transition. Nearly a year ago, African heads of state voted to allow the agency to transition from a specialized technical institute of the African Union into a public health agency. This gives it more authority, flexibility, and speed in responding to public health emergencies.