Medical researcher Eduardo Samo Gudo is the new Director General of the National Health Institute, and was sworn in this Wednesday by Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane. Samo Gudo, who had been Deputy Director General of the INS since 2018, succeeds Ilesh Jani, who was recently appointed Deputy Minister of Health.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister, Adriano Maleiane, stressed the need for continued investment in institutional strengthening in the areas of competence of the National Health Institute, with a view to maintaining the institution's key role in responding to current and future public health threats.

He also invited the inductees to contribute to strengthening the national health system, with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the field of health.

Eduardo Samo Gudo has a degree in General Medicine (2003) and a PhD in Immuno-retrovirology (2012). After his doctorate, he completed 2 post-doctoral programs (Junior and Senior) in emerging viral diseases at the European Foundation Initiative into African Neglected Tropical Diseases in Germany (2012 to 2015 and 2015 to 2018, respectively).

Samo Gudo has a 20-year career at the INS and prior to this appointment held the following positions: Deputy Director General of the INS (2018 to 2023) Scientific Director of the INS (2014 to 2018) and Head of the Reference Laboratories and Services Network Department at the INS (2010 and 2014).

It should be noted that Samo Gudo currently chairs the Africa CDC Regional Technical Committee, the advisory body for the region's Ministers of Health, and was a member of the WHO AFRO Committee for the elimination/pre-elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV between 2016 and 2018. (INS)