Ernest Kenu, MD, PhD; University of Ghana, Ghana

Dr. Ernest Kenu is a distinguished medical doctor and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Ghana School of Public Health, having achieved the rank of full professor in early 2024. He serves as the Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control and is the Director of the Ghana office for the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), an organization he previously led as Board Chair. His extensive academic qualifications include a PhD in Public Health from the University of Ghana and a specialized fellowship in Cancer Epidemiology from the National Cancer Institute in the United States. 

As a central figure in regional health security, Professor Kenu is the Program Director of the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, where he oversees the training of public health residents from multiple West African nations. His expertise was pivotal during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he co-led national contact tracing efforts and facilitated the establishment of regional public health emergency operation centers. His research portfolio is extensive, with over 160 peer-reviewed publications covering infectious diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as well as non-communicable diseases and field epidemiology using geographic information systems.