John N Nkengasong was sworn in as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy (S/GAC) in June 2022. In this role, he leads, manages and oversees the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Born in Cameroon, he is the first person of African origin to hold this position. In 2017, he was appointed the first Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. He led efforts to create policy frameworks to guide countries to establish and strengthen their public health institutes and defined and implemented a system to collate national surveillance data. He also led the COVID-19 response in Africa, coordinating with heads of state and governments across the continent and helping secure 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at the height of vaccine scarcity. During his tenure, he was appointed as a WHO special envoy on COVID-19 preparedness and response.