7 February 2022 - Today, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria welcomes H.E. Ambassador Cessouma Minata Samate as Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) of the African Union (AU) Commission.

In this influential leadership role, H.E. Ambassador Samate will play a vital role in driving policy action and continental response towards the end of malaria in Africa by 2030. She takes on this role after H.E. Amira Elfadil, whose leadership was fundamental in mobilizing and empowering African communities to take ownership of the fight against malaria through the instrumental pan-African campaign, Zero Malaria Starts with Me. The campaign, co-led by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, has launched in 23 AU Member States, with more on the cusp of joining.

Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, CEO of the RBM Partnership, says: “I welcome H.E. Ambassador Samate’s appointment, which comes at a crucial moment in our fight against malaria. The AU Commission has offered vital long-standing support to the RBM Partnership, and under H.E. Ambassador Samate’s leadership, we look forward to working together to protect hard-won gains against the disease and accelerate progress towards our goal of malaria elimination by 2030.”

Before she was elected Commissioner, H.E. Ambassador Samate was the Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Ethiopia, where she also held the position of Permanent Representative to the African Union until her election as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs in 2017.