13/03/2026
Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke, Chair of the IMPM Board of Directors, Featured in a Major International Publication on African Science Diplomacy 😊
The IMPM welcomes with great pride the inclusion of Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke among the distinguished African scientists honoured in the publication African Women Scientists Driving Science Diplomacy in Times of Crisis, released in December 2025 under the auspices of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC).
This 106-page volume presents the profiles and contributions of African women scientists who have played a pivotal role in shaping global diplomacy at the intersection of science, public policy and public health. Alongside Professor Leke, the publication highlights several figures of continental and international renown, including: Dr Matshidiso Moeti (Botswana), WHO Regional Director for Africa; Dr Segenet Kelemu (Ethiopia), Director General of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE); H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Africa’s first elected female Head of State and recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize; Professor Wangari Maathai (Kenya), the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (2004); Dr Balgis Osman-Elasha (Sudan), a distinguished climatologist; Professor Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (South Africa), Chair of the CGIAR Integrated Partnership Council; and Professor Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli (Morocco), a pioneer in medical physics, among others.
An Exceptional Scientific and Diplomatic Career
A globally renowned immunologist, Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke has made decisive contributions to the advancement of global public health. The publication highlights, in particular:
• Her pioneering research on malaria in pregnancy, which directly informed the World Health Organisation’s revision of its policy on the treatment of malaria during pregnancy;
• Her leadership since 1999 as Chair of the African Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication, in which capacity she presided over the historic ceremony on 25 August 2020 certifying the WHO African Region as free of indigenous wild poliovirus;
• Her chairmanship of the Independent Review Committee of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which guides global investment in immunisation;
• Her co-chairmanship of the Harvard Defeating Malaria Initiative, alongside Professor Dyann Wirth;
• Her recognition as a laureate of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science, in acknowledgment of her leadership in malaria research and her outstanding commitment to mentoring the next generation of African women scientists.
A Source of Pride for the IMPM and Cameroon
The IMPM warmly welcomes this international distinction, which honours not only Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke but also Cameroon and its scientific research institutions. It vividly illustrates the strategic role played by Cameroonian women scientists in global science diplomacy, at the interface between science, public policy and public health.
ABOUT THE NETWORK OF AFRICAN SCIENCE ACADEMIES (NASAC)
The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) is the umbrella organisation bringing together the national science academies of the African continent. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, NASAC's mission is to strengthen the role of science, technology, and innovation in public policymaking and sustainable development across Africa.
