Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele

Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele offers expert advisory services in vaccine development, implementation, and health emergency management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and he is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Pasteur Network. He was Chair of the WHO Emergency Committee (EC) addressing the multi-country outbreak of mpox in 2022-23 and he serves as a member of the current mpox EC. From 2004 to 2017, Dr. Okwo-Bele served as the Director of WHO's Vaccines and Immunization Programme. In this role, he oversaw vaccine research and quality standards while also playing a pivotal role in shaping WHO's vaccine policy processes. Prior to this role, he was the Head of UNICEF's Global Immunization Activities and the Head of WHO's Immunization Programme in Africa. He also held the position of National Coordinator for the Expanded Programme on Immunization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr. Okwo-Bele began his public health career in 1981, contributing to WHO's special surveillance initiatives for mpox and Ebola viruses in the DRC. He has published over 35 articles and book chapters. He holds a medical degree and a master's degree in public health. His dedication to advancing polio eradication in Africa earned him recognition as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. In September 2022, he was honored by Pope Francis as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.