John Nkengasong, PhD, MSc

Ambassador John Nkengasong is the Executive Director for Higher Education, Collaboratives, and Strategic Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation. Previously, he served as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, where he led the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and established the Bureau for Global Health and Security. Nkengasong was the inaugural Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), transforming it into an autonomous health agency of the African Union. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2020 Global Goalkeeper Award, recognition in Time Magazine’s 2021 Most Influential People list, and the 2023 African of the Year award by CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa. Nkengasong is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the first laureate of the Virchow Prize for Global Health.