Dr. John Nkengasong is included in Africa Health 20 because few people have done more to shape Africa’s modern public health architecture. As the founding director of Africa CDC, he helped build the institutional scaffolding for surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency response, and coordinated continental action.
His relevance in 2025 did not rest on legacy alone: after leading PEPFAR and the U.S. Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy through January 2025, he moved into a senior strategy role at the Mastercard Foundation, remaining active in high-level global health and development. That combination of institution-building, continental influence, and continued strategic relevance is why he belongs on this list.
Influence Areas
Continental Health Architecture; Laboratory Systems; Global Health Diplomacy; Institutional Leadership
