Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar has been the WHO Representative in Sudan since 1 August 2026. In this role, he leads the implementation of WHO's country programme and provides strategic leadership, management, and oversight of the Organization's operations in Sudan. Before this, Dr. Abdinasir served as WHO Representative and Acting Representative in Lebanon from May 2022 to July 2026, providing strategic leadership to WHO Lebanon and supporting the government’s response to multiple emergencies through coordination, technical guidance, and efforts to strengthen health system resilience. Dr. Abdinasir held several technical and management positions at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt between 2015 and 2022. He was instrumental in leading the COVID-19 pandemic response and coordinating efforts across 22 countries in the region. His experience at WHO and other UN agencies spans various technical and leadership roles, including Team Lead, Epidemiologist, and technical advisor in Egypt, South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia for the past three decades. With more than 30 years of public health experience, Dr. Abubakar has worked with national and international organizations on health systems, emergency preparedness and response, and epidemiological research. He managed major outbreaks and epidemics, including COVID-19, H5N1, MERS-CoV, meningitis, cholera, Rift Valley fever, visceral leishmaniasis, anthrax, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Dr. Abubakar has contributed extensively to operational research on health emergencies, health systems, and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases, authoring or co-authoring more than 50 peer-reviewed articles on topics including COVID-19, influenza, meningitis, cholera, yellow fever, nodding syndrome, visceral leishmaniasis, HIV/AIDS, health systems, health emergencies, etc. A Canadian national, he holds a medical degree from Somali National University and a Master of Public Health and a fellowship in Epidemiology and International Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States of America.