Chikwe Ihekweazu

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu is a Nigerian physician, infectious disease epidemiologist and public-health executive. As of 22 August 2026, he serves as Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, following earlier leadership of Nigeria's national public-health institute and WHO's pandemic and epidemic intelligence hub.

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About Chikwe Ihekweazu

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Nigeria · Physician, Infectious disease epidemiologist, Public health executive

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Known for: Health-emergency preparedness and response; Disease outbreak surveillance and epidemic intelligence; Public-health institution building in Nigeria
Country: Nigeria

Physician
Infectious disease epidemiologist
Public health executive

At a glance

He leads the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, which coordinates preparedness for and responses to disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises and other health emergencies.
From 2016 to 2021, he led the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as its first or founding Director-General.
He was appointed in 2021 to lead the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin and serve as an Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence.
His career has included positions at public-health institutions in Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Public-health background

Ihekweazu trained as a physician at the University of Nigeria and earned a Master of Public Health from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. WHO identifies him as a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health and an alumnus of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training. His professional experience includes work at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency and Germany's Robert Koch Institute.

Building Nigeria's disease-control agency

Ihekweazu began leading the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in August 2016 and remained at the agency until 2021. WHO and NCDC describe him as its first or founding Director-General, making his tenure central to the development of Nigeria's national institution for disease surveillance and outbreak response. He also served in 2017 as Interim Director of the West Africa Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control.

Leadership at the World Health Organization

WHO announced in September 2021 that Ihekweazu would lead its Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin and serve as Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence. He later served as Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. WHO announced his appointment as Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme effective 16 June 2025, and its leadership materials continued to identify him in that role as of 22 August 2026.

Professional focus and recognition

His public career has centered on infectious-disease epidemiology, outbreak surveillance, epidemic intelligence and health-emergency preparedness. In 2021, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree on him.

Timeline

2016-08-15 Began service as National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, later described by WHO and NCDC as its first Director-General.
2017 Served as Interim Director of the West Africa Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control.
2021-09-01 WHO announced his appointment to lead the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and serve as an Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence.
2021-11-01 His WHO Assistant Director-General appointment to lead the pandemic intelligence hub in Berlin took effect.
2021 Received an honorary Doctor of Science from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
2025-06-16 WHO stated that its new executive-management team, including Ihekweazu as Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, would take effect on this date.

Additional verified details

Current context

Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme. WHO's headquarters leadership page and a 2026 Health Emergencies Programme structure document identify Ihekweazu as Executive Director. WHO announced that the appointment would take effect on 16 June 2025.
Leads WHO's global preparedness for and response to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises, across WHO's three organizational levels. Role description published on WHO's headquarters leadership page.

Biographical facts

Ihekweazu is a Nigerian physician and infectious disease epidemiologist.
His previous public-health experience includes positions at the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency and Germany's Robert Koch Institute.
He holds a medical degree from the University of Nigeria and a Master of Public Health from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. WHO also identifies him as a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health and an alumnus of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training.
Before taking the executive-director role in WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, he served as Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree on Ihekweazu in 2021.

Connections

Affiliations

Affiliations associated with Chikwe Ihekweazu.

World Health Organization Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme 2025-06-16–present
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Founding Director-General 2016-08-15–2021