Addis Ababa, 20 May 2026 – Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum as Senior Advisor for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response; Mukesh Chawla as Senior Advisor for Health Economics and Strategic Financing; Dr. Karim Bendhaou as Senior Advisor on Institutional Strengthening, Strategic Partnerships and Private Sector Engagement; and Christian Lusakweno as Senior Advisor for Crisis and Mass Communication.
Collectively, they bring exceptional depth across epidemic preparedness and response, health economics, strategic financing, institutional strengthening, public-private partnerships, strategic communications and crisis information management as Africa CDC advances the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) agenda. Their appointments will help elevate Africa’s voice in global health decision-making, strengthen domestic and innovative health financing, accelerate local manufacturing and market-shaping mechanisms, and build resilient public health systems across the continent.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum Senior Advisor for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response Professor Muyembe Tamfum is a globally recognised Congolese virologist and public health leader. He serves as Director General of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) and as Professor of Microbiology/Virology at the University of Kinshasa. Recognised for his work on Ebola from the first known outbreak in 1976 through successive epidemic responses, he brings unmatched expertise in epidemic preparedness, diagnostics, outbreak coordination, clinical research and scientific policy.
Mukesh Chawla Senior Advisor for Health Economics and Strategic Financing Mukesh Chawla, PhD, is a leading health economist and strategic financing expert with more than three decades of experience advising governments and development partners across Africa, Asia and Europe. At the World Bank, he served as Adviser for Health, Nutrition and Population and Coordinator of the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility. He brings deep experience in health security financing, pandemic risk financing, domestic resource mobilisation, reform design and investment cases for resilient public health systems.
Dr. Karim Bendhaou Senior Advisor on Institutional Strengthening, Strategic Partnerships and Private Sector Engagement Dr. Karim Bendhaou (MD, MBA) is a pan-African health industry leader with extensive experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, strategic partnerships and enterprise development. He served for more than 18 years as President of Merck’s North and West Africa operations, covering 40 African countries, and later led Merck’s Africa Bureau. He will advise Africa CDC on institutional strengthening, public-private collaboration, private sector engagement, access to innovation, supply sustainability and local manufacturing.
Christian Lusakweno Senior Advisor for Crisis and Mass Communication Christian Lusakweno is a Congolese media leader, journalist and founder/director of Radio Top Congo FM, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s influential radio platforms. Over two decades, he has built a trusted broadcast network and led live public affairs programming through periods of political, social and security sensitivity. He brings practical expertise in audience trust, message discipline, multilingual public communication, rapid-response broadcasting and crisis information management.
In their new roles, the Senior Advisors will provide strategic, technical, political and intellectual advisory support to the Director General of Africa CDC. Their work will include advising on Africa’s positioning in global health architecture reform; strengthening sustainable and sovereign health financing; supporting pandemic preparedness, prevention and response; advancing local manufacturing and market-shaping mechanisms; deepening high-level political engagement and strategic partnerships; and contributing to flagship thought leadership and policy positioning for Africa CDC and the African Union.
They will also help unlock strategic alliances with governments, African Union Member States, multilateral institutions, development finance institutions, philanthropic actors, scientific partners and the private sector. Through their advisory roles, they will support Africa CDC’s transition from dependency to sovereignty, from fragmentation to coordination, and from vulnerability to resilience.
“I am delighted to welcome Professor Muyembe Tamfum, Mukesh Chawla, Dr. Karim Bendhaou and Christian Lusakweno to Africa CDC. Their experience, judgment and networks will be invaluable as we deepen partnerships, unlock new opportunities and accelerate delivery on our mission. At a time when Africa must speak with greater authority and act with greater ambition on the future of health, their counsel will be an important asset to Africa CDC and to the continent,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. This appointment reflects Africa CDC’s continued commitment to mobilising African and global expertise of the highest calibre in service of the continent’s health security, sovereignty and development.
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About Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube
Media contact:
Directorate of Communication & Public Information | Communications@africacdc.org
