Dr. Lul Riek is a seasoned physician and a global public health expert with many years of work and proven records of accomplishment in supporting countries around Africa in efforts to build resilient health care systems, and in the implementation of health programs that have saved the lives of people in need, particularly children and women, in some of the world’s most challenging spaces and situations.
Dr. Riek spearheaded the establishment of the South Sudan National AIDS Control Program, and facilitated the development of comprehensive HIV/AIDS policies, strategies and guidelines. Under his leadership, South Sudan established 107 voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers, 57 PMTCT programs, and 21 ART centers across the country, which have provided access to quality prevention, care and support services. His outstanding work on the establishment of the HIV/AIDS control program in South Sudan was documented by the most prestigious medical journal, “The Lancet”, in an article that was published June of 2011. Dr. Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health and a collaborator described Dr. Riek as, “a champion of his people, a man of peace, and a doctor who seeks to transform South Sudan into a modern nation of healthy and productive people”.
As Chair of the South Sudan Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM), Dr. Riek has successfully overseen the implementation of more than USD 200 million in Global Fund grants for priority health diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV / AIDS.
At global level, Dr. Riek worked as a health policy analyst at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional office for Africa where he championed the design of a regional tool for the analysis of the WHO country office quarterly reports, and ensured their consistency with the WHO General Program of Work, African Regional Office (AFRO) strategic directions, and WHO core functions and priorities. Dr. Riek has a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Alexandria University, Egypt, and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) from Meharry Medical College, United States of America. Dr. Riek speaks fluent Arabic, English and conversational French.
