The African Union Assembly has appointed Jean Kaseya as the Africa CDC Director General.
Kaseya from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be holding the position for a period of four years.
Kaseya beat other 180 candidates, including Kenya’s medic Ahmed Ogwell who has been holding the position in an acting capacity.
The AU in a statement on Wednesday said Kaseya has been tasked to oversee the delivery of the organisation's core functions and key objectives as per its statute.
The position was previously held by John Nkengasong who was in May 2022 confirmed by the US Senate as the Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy at the US Department of State.
“The DG will also be responsible for the formulation and implementation of substantive work programs for the Regional Collaborating Centers and ensure that programmed activities are carried out promptly,” AU said.
Africa CDC is mandated to establish event-based surveillance in order to detect potential disease threats from informal, non-structured sources that often circulate outside the official health sector.
It also assists Member States in addressing gaps in International Health regulation compliance, supports public health emergency preparedness and response, and maps the regional- and country-level hazard and risk assessments for Member States.