Corine Karema is the former Director of the Rwanda National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) where she served in this role for 10 years. From 2011 to May 2016, she was also the head of Malaria & Other Parasitic Diseases (Neglected tropical diseases) Division – Rwanda. During her time at the NMCP, she led the development of malaria control strategies, policies and research, which has guided the implementation of evidence-based malaria control interventions resulting in increased coverage of key malaria control interventions with important reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality in Rwanda.

Corine was also the Co–chair of the East African Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Network Coordination committee and member of the diverse WHO scientific and advisory committees including the Global Malaria Control and Elimination technical working group; WHO Steering committee of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria control and elimination 2016–2025 and RBM GMAP II Task Force.

She has a MD and MSc Epidemiology and has received diverse training in malariology and planning and management of tropical diseases control programs. Corine is a PhD student at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute at University of Basel, Switzerland. She is Adjunct Assistant Professor in Executive Education at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE).

Corine serves as the team leader of the malaria experts on the Global Fund Technical panel review for the 2017–2021 allocation periods. She is member of the WHO Programme Advisory Group of the RTS,S Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme, the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network Scientific Advisory Committee, Access And Product Management Advisory Committee of the Medicines for Malaria Venture and the Lancet Commission on Malaria Eradication. She is currently a consultant (Malaria Senior Programme Officer) at the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and the Senior Technical Advisor for Infectious Diseases at Quality and Equity Health care.

Corinne joined the SAC in March 2018. Photo credit CK.