Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

NIH: Fogarty International Center NIH: Fogarty International Center
Advancing Science for Global Health
Advancing Science for Global Health
Home > Barmes Lecture > Barmes Lecture 2024: Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong Print

Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov. Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov​.

Barmes Lecture 2024: Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong

Headshot of Dr. John N Nkengasong

Global HIV/AIDS Response: Then, Now, Future

Nkengasong spoke about the global HIV/AIDS response past, present and future, providing context and data on its evolution. He concluded with thoughts on what is currently working, what isn't, and how, by focusing on closing gaps using three strategies—identifying priority populations, sustaining the response, and sustaining public health systems and security—we can achieve the goal of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Watch: Global HIV/AIDS Response: Then, Now, Future

About the Barmes Lecture

The David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture series honors the late David Edward Barmes, special expert for international health at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). More about the Barmes Lecture

About John N. Nkengasong

Dr. John N. Nkengasong is an Ambassador at Large and serves as the U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy. In this role, Dr. Nkengasong oversees the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – PEPFAR; which is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, prevent millions of HIV infections, save lives, and make progress toward ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Previously, Dr. Nkengasong served as the first director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Through his leadership, a framework for transforming Africa CDC into a full autonomous health agency of the Africa Union was established. As Africa CDC director, Dr. Nkengasong also led the COVID-19 response in Africa, coordinating with heads of state and governments across the continent, among other achievements to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped secure 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at the height of vaccine scarcity. During his tenure, he was appointed as one of the World Health Organization’s special envoys on COVID-19 preparedness and response. Dr. Nkengasong also served as acting deputy principal director of the Center for Global Health, as well as the Division of Global HIV and TB’s chief of the International Laboratory Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a world-renowned public health leader, Dr. Nkengasong’s contributions to global health have been recognized by numerous prestigious awards and honors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2020 Global Goalkeeper Award; Time Magazine, 2021 Time 100 List of Most Influential People; Fortune magazine, 2021 World’s 50 Greatest Leaders; Bloomberg, 2021 Bloomberg 50 Influential People; and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shepard Award and William Watson Medal of Excellence. Last year, he was invited to join the National Academy of Medicine and he became the first laureate of the Virchow Prize for Global Health. In 2023, he received the African of the Year Award from All Africa Business Leaders Award in partnership with CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa. Dr. Nkengasong also holds the rare honor of being knighted by the governments of Sénégal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon.

More Information

Udpated July 5, 2024