Dr. Issa Makumbi – MBChB (MUK); MSc (LSE) – is the Deputy Director, Uganda National Institute of Public Health and Director of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC). He contributed to the development of the WHO PHEOC Framework.

His role extends to mentorship of public health students and fellows both nationally and internationally. He has been working in the health sector in various positions as a physician and a public health officer for over thirty-five years in the districts and national level. His experience has been in clinical and public health services delivery and management. In these past and present positions,

Dr Makumbi has overseen detection of and response to over 30 outbreaks in Uganda since 2010 and has emerged as a leading Subject Matter Expert on the global stage having participated in GHSA and JEE assessment exercises in, Bangladesh (JEE Team leader), Co-leaders JEE Team for Tanzania, Ethiopia, USA and Swaziland. Currently co-chairing GHSA APP3 with Africa CDC and a member of Africa Bio Signature Initiative. Prior to his current roles, Dr. Makumbi was the Assistant Commissioner and Head of Epidemiology and Surveillance in Ministry of Health and National IHR Focal Point.

Dr. Makumbi also served as the Assistant Commissioner and National Immunization Programme Manager from 2000 to 2009. During that time, the country achieved national polio eradication certification, measles mortality went to almost zero, and Haemophilus Influenzae B was controlled to elimination levels.

He worked as Principal Health Planner in the planning department in the 1990s and initiated district health planning after the decentralization policy in 1993. Dr. Makumbi is author/co-author on several peer-reviewed articles and has received numerous distinctions both at home and abroad.