After two years and 10 months of leading the World Health Organization’s programme in Ethiopia, WHO Representative (WR), Dr Pierre M’pele-Kilebou, has completed his mission and moved on to Cotonou, Benin. 

At the end of his mission, Dr M’pele was honored by the Federal Ministry of Health as a Health Hero for his contributions to the successful implementation of the Health Sector Development Plan IV. The honoring ceremony was held at the 17th Annual Review Meeting of the Health Sector in Adama on 27 October 2015 in the presence of representatives from all regions of the country.

A strong believer in partnering for health, Dr M’pele strived to strengthen partnerships with the the Government of Ethiopia, United Nations agencies, civil societies and the people on the ground. WHO technical support to the FMoH reached a higher level than ever before through the enhanced Direct Technical Assistance provided through WHO experts that share offices with teams in the Ministry and its specialized agencies, ideally positioned to provide the best technical support. Support to regional health bureaus was also strengthened under his leadership through the establishment and strengthening of WHO regional technical support teams (RTSTs).

When Ethiopia was affected by the Horn of Africa polio epidemic in 2013, Dr M’pele had just joined the Country Office. He successfully led WHO’s contribution to the fast and aggressive response that led to Ethiopia being certified as polio-free in April 2015, less than two years after the eruption of the polio epidemic. 

Dr M’pele’s passion for addressing non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia has led to WHO’s strong support in the development of the first National Cancer Control Strategy, strengthening support to Mental Health Programmes, and to Ethiopia’s ratification of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Above all, Dr M’pele is particular about involving communities in the health discussions and made it a point to visit all the regions of Ethiopia and meet communities – not as recipients of support but as partners in ensuring the health agenda.

On the home front, Dr M’pele championed internal communication and transparency in the Country Office and helped foster a happy and productive environment for WHO teams can operate. 
The staff of WHO Ethiopia acknowledge Dr Pierre M’pele’s great personal contributions to the health of the Ethiopian people, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

For more information, please contact:

Loza Mesfin Tesfaye

Communications Officer

tesfayel [at] who.int