Members: International Task Force for Disease Eradication

Current Task Force Members

Kashef Ijaz, M.D., M.P.H. (Chair, 2021-Present; Member since 2020)
Vice President for Health Programs
The Carter Center

Previously principal deputy director in the Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; served as deputy director for science and programs in the Center for Global Health and chief of the Tuberculosis Field Services and Evaluation Branch in the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. He helped lead the CDC’s responses to the West Africa Ebola epidemic of 2014-16, the MERS-CoV outbreak of 2013-14, and the H1N1 pandemic of 2009; a public health physician by training, began his career as a medical epidemiologist at the Arkansas Department of Health, where he worked with marginalized rural populations at the state, local, and community levels, and has worked extensively in Asia, Africa, and across the developing world on malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.

Fatima (Fatoumata) Barry, Ph.D. (2023—Present)
Health Specialist
Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice
The World Bank

Leads the World Bank’s Neglected Tropical Diseases work through the Deworming Africa Initiative and is the World Bank’s HNP Focal Point for School Health and Nutrition since 2020. She also supports health operations in West and Central Africa focused on health systems strengthening, pandemic preparedness and response, and maternal, child and adolescent health. Prior to joining the World Bank, Fatima worked for several national and international organizations in the fields of public health, human development, and program management such as Population Services International, International Fund for Agricultural Development, LITE-Africa, and the Aspen Institute. Fatima holds a PhD degree in Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences from Michigan State University concentrating on environmental health. She also earned a Dual Master’s degree in International Relations and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University in Washington, DC and the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Simon Bland (2022—Present)
Chief Executive Officer
Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE)

Over 35 years of international development experience straddling marine and natural resource management, development economics, and global health; was a volunteer with the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Papua New Guinea and then joined the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, where he led country programs in Russia, Ukraine, Kenya, and Somalia; former Director of the UNAIDS New York Office; currently the vice-chair of the Board of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and is a trustee of Malaria No More (UK); also a member of the Forum on Public Private Partnerships within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington DC, and was the Chair of the Board of the Global Fund in 2011; was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2013 in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list for service to Global Health.

Dr. Ibrahima Soce Fall (2022—Present)
Director
Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases
World Health Organization (WHO)

Dr. Socé Fall, as he is universally known, is a public health scholar, global health leader, and infectious diseases epidemiologist. Most recently (2019–2022), he served as Assistant Director-General in charge of WHO’s emergency response. During this term, he led the Organization’s response to high-impact epidemics, humanitarian crises, and acute public health events at t global level. He was formally the Regional Emergency Director in WHO’s African Region (2015–2019). Previously, he had been the WHO Representative in Mali (2012–2015), during which time he had also been appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as Ebola Crisis Manager and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER, 2014–2015). From 2007 to 2012 Dr Fall served as Regional Adviser in the WHO Regional Office for Africa in charge of strategic planning for the malaria control program as well as coordinator of the working group on strategic planning of the global Roll Back Malaria partnership. Dr. Fall was trained as a military physician and has over 30 years of experience in medical practice and public health. He earned a doctorate in medicine (DrMed) and a master’s in public health from Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, a doctorate in public health (Ph.D.) jointly issued by Tulane University, USA and UCAD, and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from Tulane University. Dr. Fall also specialized in tropical medicine and epidemiology at the French Military Institute of Tropical Medicine and Aix-Marseille University in 1994–1995. Prior to joining WHO, Dr. Fall held various positions in his native Senegal – He notably led Senegal’s efforts to interrupt dracunculiasis transmission in the 1990s. A fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK, Dr. Fall is the co-author of more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters.

Peter Figueroa, Ph.D. (2017—Present)
Professor of Public Health
Epidemiology and HIV/AIDS
The University of the West Indies

Dr. Peter Figueroa is Professor of Public Health, Epidemiology and HIV/AIDS at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, where he has led the development of a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. He was the National Epidemiologist in Jamaica and led the National HIV/STI Program from its outset in 1986 until 2008. He served as Chief Medical Officer from 1997–2002. He is chair of PAHO’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Immunization and he was a member of WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE} from 2009 – 2015. He is a member of the WHO Working Group on COVID-19 vaccines and a member of the UNAIDS scientific expert panel. He has published widely on communicable diseases, HIV/ STIs, HTLV-1, and public health including 175 peer-reviewed papers and 3 books. He has received many awards for his work including in 2019 a WHO award for Leadership in Global Health.

Donald R. Hopkins, M.D., M.P.H.  (Chair, 2001-2016; Member 2001-Present)
Special Advisor, Guinea Worm Eradication
The Carter Center

Participated in the Smallpox Eradication Program (Sierra Leone, India, Ethiopia); co-chaired the 1997 Dahlem Conference (Berlin); Project Director for the first International Task Force for Disease Eradication; former CDC Deputy Director, and Acting Director. Former Vice President for Health Programs, The Carter Center.

Patrick Lammie, Ph.D. (2022—Present)
Director
Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center
The Task Force for Global Health

Provides technical guidance and strategic oversight for the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs (COR-NTD; https://www.cor-ntd.org/), an operational research portfolio managed by NTD-SC on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID and UKAid; former senior staff scientist in the Disease Elimination and Control Group in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where his research was focused on lymphatic filariasis and integrated serosurveillance, and continues to support efforts to develop new tools and strategies to monitor and evaluate filariasis and other neglected tropical diseases; served on the World Health Organization’s NTD Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group, on the Regional Program Review Groups for PAHO, AFRO, SEARO and WPRO and is currently serving as chair of WHO’s NTD Diagnostic and Technical Advisory Group; also serves as the co-chair for the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Disease Elimination for PAHO

Ephrem T. Lemango, MD, MA (2021-Present)
Principal Advisor & Chief of Immunizations
UNICEF

Former Regional Immunization and Primary Health Care focal in the World Health Organization (WHO) - Regional Office for Africa; served as the Director of Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition programme of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia and the Executive Director for the International Institute for Primary Health Care in Ethiopia; previously served as an Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy in Mekelle University, Ethiopia and worked at grassroot level as national and continental advocate for Youth Reproductive Health and Empowerment; was a member of the Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) of World Health Organization- Regional Office for Africa and the Global Equity Reference Group for Immunization; has also been a visiting Scientist in Harvard School of Public Health researching on Primary Health Care and Community health systems.

Dr. Kim Lindblade (2022—Present)
PMI Insights Technical Director and Senior Technical Advisor
Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases
PATH

Technical Director for the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Insights Project and Senior Technical Advisor to the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases department of PATH in Geneva. As former Head of the Malaria Elimination Unit for the World Health Organization (2017-2022), oversaw the development of the first WHO malaria elimination guidelines, supported countries in all regions of the world to eliminate malaria, and edited the report of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication. Supported control of influenza in Thailand and Lao (2014-2016) and assisted in the interruption of transmission of Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea (2014-2015). Supported the Ministry of Health of Guatemala to eliminate onchocerciasis and monitor for emerging infectious diseases (2004-2010). Led operational research efforts for malaria at the CDC-KEMRI program in Kenya (1999-2004) and at the CDC Malaria Branch (2011-2013). Has coauthored more than 140 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on malaria, neglected tropical diseases, influenza, Ebola and emerging infections.

David Molyneux, Ph.D., D.Sc., Hon.FRCP (2001-Present)

Professor of Tropical Health Sciences
Department of Parasitology,
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Former Director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom); member of the WHO Expert Panel on Parasitic Diseases; former President of the British Society of Parasitology and Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene; member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the World Bank/UNDP/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (NTD/STAG); member of the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication.  Former Chair, Expert Advisory Committee, Onchocerciasis Control Programme; Executive Secretary, Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF), 2006-2010.

Ana Morice Trejos, MD, MPH, MSc. (2019—Present)
Pediatrician/Epidemiologist
Independent Consultant

Former Technical Director of the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Training in Health and Nutrition (INCIENSA) and Vice-Minister of Health in Costa Rica (2008-2011). International Consultant (PAHO: 2005-2008, 2011-2019; WHO:2016; CDC:2000-02) responsible to implement measles and rubella elimination strategies and develop the regional protocol to verify measles, rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome elimination in the Region of the Americas. International experience in designing tools and training for monitoring coverage of public health interventions, data quality assessment, planning and microplanning for immunization service delivery and Mass Drug Administration to eliminate Neglected Infectious Diseases. Member of WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) Working Group on Quality and Use of Global Immunization and Surveillance Data, 2017-2019.

William Schluter, MD, MSPH (2019—Present)
Director
Global Immunization Division
Center for Global Health
U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Served as the Director for the Global Immunization Division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since January 2017. He supported immunization programs in multiple countries including long-term assignments in the World Health Organization Offices for Ethiopia, Nepal and the Western Pacific Region based in the Philippines. Dr Schluter attended Creighton University School of Medicine before completing residency training in both family medicine and general preventive medicine and public health. He served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at CDC in the National Immunization Program.

Dr. Faisal Sultan (2021-Present)
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health
Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination
Government of Pakistan

Serves as the Prime Minister’s focal person on COVID-19 and has served as the CEO (from 2003 to 2021) of Shaukat Khanum Memorial and Cancer Hospital and as consultant physician on medicine and infectious diseases since 1995. He graduated from the King Edward Medical College (Lahore) in 1987. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine in the specialties of Internal Medicine (1992) and Infectious Disease (1994) and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan.

Jordan Tappero, M.D., M.P.H. (2018-Present)
Senior Program Officer
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Global Health Program
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A physician epidemiologist by training, he joined the foundation in January 2018 after completing a 25-year career with CDC.  He has broad public health skills including: the conduct of randomized clinical trials; the implementation of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and NTD prevention, care and treatment programs; the introduction of new childhood vaccines; developing surveillance systems; and serving as CDC Incident Manager for complex humanitarian emergencies (Haiti post-earthquake cholera and West African Ebola epidemics).  He has global health experience across four continents including 14 years residing overseas as a CDC Country Director in Botswana, Thailand, Uganda and Haiti. In 2017, he retired from the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General.  He holds three American Board Certifications and has co-authored over 260 peer-reviewed publications.

Dyann Wirth, Ph.D., M.A. (2001-Present)
Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Director of Harvard Malaria Initiative
Harvard School of Public Health

Former Chair of the WHO/UNDP/World Bank Tropical Disease Research Steering Committee on Drugs for Malaria; recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Award in Molecular Parasitology; Immediate Past President of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; present Chair of the Harvard’s Division of Biological Sciences.