Ibrahima Socé Fall

Dr. Socé Fall is a Public Health scholar, Global Health leader and infectious diseases epidemiologist, currently CEO of Dakar Pasteur Institute (IPD). Dr Fall has occupied many senior executive positions in WHO including Assistant Director-General in charge of emergencies response at United Nations Assistant Secretary-General level. He was formally Director of the Global NTD program in Geneva and Regional Emergencies Director for WHO in Africa. Dr. Fall has driven some of the most ambitious institutional transformations in global health. At WHO, he spearheaded the development of the Emergency Response Framework (ERF), the global Incident Management System, The Strategic Health Operations and the Alert and Response Coordination Departments, all of which became central to WHO’s operational shift. As Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response, he directed the organization’s transformation into a more agile, response-ready institution. He also co-led the design of WHO’s global health emergency preparedness architecture, presented at the World Health Assembly and informed by lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Fall co-led the design and implementation the reform of WHO work in health emergencies and initiated the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) for IHR. During the reform he led the development of the first Regional Strategy on Heath Security and Emergencies in the African Region. vaccine, and regional laboratory capacity expanded In the realm of scientific leadership, Dr. Fall has consistently driven innovation. He launched WHO’s R&D Blueprint for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and has played a leading role in coordinating global research responses to health emergencies like Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fevers and COVID-19. He also edited and published over 500 articles on epidemics and health emergencies in the WHO weekly health emergency bulletin he has set up and more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and books chapters, he has helped shape global understanding of infectious disease control, climate-related health risks, and resilient health systems. Dr. Fall was trained as a military physician and has over 30 years’ experience in medical practice and Public Health. He has earned a doctorate in medicine, DTMH and epidemiology from IMTSSA Marseille, a Master’s in Public Health from Dakar UCAD and a doctorate in public Health (PhD) jointly from Tulane University, USA and UCAD a MSc in International Development from Tulane University. Dr. Fall is also a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (FFPH) of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK (FRCP) and Commander of Senegal National Lion Order.