Karifa Kourouma
Afox Fellow 2025
Karifa Kourouma, is a physician and public health researcher with over a decade of experience in tropical medicine, clinical research, and epidemic preparedness. Based at the Centre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah and the Public Health Department at Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry, Guinea, he leads research projects on epidemic-prone diseases, AMR, and outbreak response, ensuring findings directly inform national health policies.
Dr. Kourouma plays a key role in international collaborations, serving as Guinea’s focal point in consortia such as DECIPHER, ALERRT, and the SMV Delivery. Through these partnerships, he works to integrate advanced diagnostics and surveillance tools into Guinea’s health systems while strengthening national ownership. His close collaborations with the MoH, the National VHF Laboratory, and the AMR platform have been critical in shaping Guinea’s epidemic preparedness.
He holds advanced degrees from the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium) and is completing a Master in Clinical Trials (LSHTM) alongside a PhD at the University of Antwerp. His selection as an AfOx Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Human Genetics and the Pandemic Sciences Institute reflects his growing leadership and his commitment to equitable, collaborative solutions to Africa’s most pressing health challenges.