Kesete Admasu

Dr Kesetebirhan (Kesete) Admasu joined Big Win as CEO in January 2019 after serving as CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. He served as Minister of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his appointment as Minister, he served as State Minister for Health Programs and Director General of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention General Directorate in the Ministry. In his capacity as Director General, he oversaw health sector reform and led the implementation of the country’s flagship Health Extension Program (HEP), which improves the quality and availability of primary healthcare services through community-based health workers.

He has held a number of prominent positions within regional and international organisations in the health sector, including serving as Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Ministerial Committee on Health, and a member of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In recognition of his contribution to reproductive health, he was selected as a 2016 Winner of “120 Under 40”, an initiative organised by the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health.