ANDRE ARSENE AABF BITA FOUDA 25th International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference 2026

ANDRE ARSENE AABF BITA FOUDA

Prof Andre Arsene Bita Fouda is WHO Regional meningitis control officer, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. In this role, Prof Bita’s responsibilities include: providing technical support and guidance to African Countries on Meningococcal vaccines for prevention and reactive vaccination mass campaigns and introduction into routine immunization; monitoring progress on introduction of Meningococcal vaccines in the African meningitis belt countries; providing technical support and guidance to African countries on surveillance, data management and care of patents with sequelae, case management, preparation and response to meningitis epidemics; and developing regional guidelines on meningitis control in line with the roadmap to Defeat Meningitis by 20230. With regards to Maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination, Prof Bita is acting as regional officer providing guidance and technical assistance to African countries for interventions to reduce the burden of this disease and assess the status of its elimination. As out of WHO activities, and as associate Professor in Epidemiology in University of Douala, Cameroon, he’s providing lecture in Epidemiology, health system and health programmes and projects, public health priority programmes. Prior to this, he was a WHO Consultant on the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) 2014-2017; Regional meningitis control officer (2018-2021). Prof Bita has authored and co-authored 133 publications in 34 peer review journals and five guidelines: Immunization, surveillance and response to outbreaks (meningitis, measles, cholera, COVID-19); Diphtheria, MNTE, HIV/AIDS; health economics; occupational Medicine etc. Prof Andre Arsene Bita Fouda was Incident Manager (IM) in IMST/Nigeria in 2017 during a major meningitis outbreak, Deputy IM COVID-19 in Tanzania for COVID-19 pandemic, IM in IMST/DRC in 2021 during a meningitis outbreak and Health Operations and technical expertise lead from 2023-2024 in AFRO IMST for diphtheria outbreak. He has contributed to few VPD outbreak response including Polio, COVID-19, yellow fever, Measles, pertussis etc.