Elsie Msuya

Tanzanian epidemiologist leading global pandemic preparedness initiatives

Public Health Visionary

Elsie Msuya is a Tanzanian physician and epidemiologist hailed as a 'pandemic prophet' for her early warnings about zoonotic diseases. As Director of Africa CDC's Emerging Diseases Unit since 2020, she spearheaded the Pan-African Epidemic Readiness Program, which trained 12,000 healthcare workers across 47 countries. Her predictive modeling during the 2021 Rift Valley fever outbreak saved an estimated 15,000 livestock herds.

Innovative Responses

In 2022 Dr. Msuya pioneered the M-Pesa Health initiative, integrating mobile payment systems with disease surveillance in Kenya and Uganda. This platform now tracks over 200 health indicators in real-time using SMS data from 25 million users. Her research on climate-driven disease vectors was cited in the 2023 IPCC report.

Global Influence

Recipient of the UNSDG Award for Innovation (2023), Msuya's WHO advisory work shaped the J-CEpi Network connecting 90 institutions globally. Her book 《Epidemics and Empowerment》 became a bestseller in African academic circles. Current projects include a blockchain-based vaccine distribution system for conflict zones.