Public health expert Dr. Kesete Admasu joins CEPI Board

Former Minister of Health for Ethiopia and current CEO of Big Win Philanthropy, Dr. Kesete Admasu, has joined the CEPI Board.

He brings over twenty years of experience working across public health, infectious disease initiatives and philanthropic investment.

In his current position, Dr. Kesete leads Big Win Philanthropy’s work partnering with visionary African leaders to achieve transformational change by encouraging investment in areas that support national development and long-term economic growth. 

Dr. Kesete served as Minister of Health of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his appointment as Minister, he served as State Minister for the Health Programs and Director General of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention General Directorate in the Ministry where he is known for his critical role implementing health sector reforms in the country.

Dr. Kesete has also held prominent positions at international health organisations, including CEO of Roll Back Malaria, Chair of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa and Member of the Gavi Board. He was a member of the Interim CEPI Board set up during the establishment of CEPI in 2016.

He is a medical doctor by training and has held a number of clinical and public health roles. 

As part of his CEPI Board membership, Dr. Kesete will join our Audit and Risk Committee.

Discussing his new appointment, Dr. Kesete Admasu, said: “I am a big believer in CEPI’s mission and have been cheering its work from the sidelines for some time. It is a real delight to now join the Board and have the opportunity to contribute more directly. CEPI’s role in accelerating vaccine development and advancing equitable access is critical for global health security, and I’m honoured to support this important work at such a pivotal time”.

Jane Halton, Chair of CEPI, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Kesete to the CEPI Board. Dr Kesete has dedicated his career to advancing public health and his diverse experience working across the medical, government and charity sectors will further strengthen our goal to advance new vaccines against some of the world’s greatest disease threats in as little as 100 days. His insights will be critical to shaping the direction of our future strategy, due to launch in 2027.”

Launched in 2017, CEPI is an innovative public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating plan is the 100 Days Mission, an ambitious goal to compress the time taken to develop vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

CEPI’s Board is made up of voting members and observers who together represent cross-sectoral expertise in global health, science, resource mobilisation and finance to drive forward progress on our mission. An overview of our Board and its members can be viewed on our CEPI Board page.