Dr. Teguest Guerma is a renowed physician and global health leader specializing in infectious diseases. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, she is the founder and CEO of LeDeG Midwifery College, established in 2015 to address critical gaps in maternal health across Ethiopia and beyond.
From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Guerma made history as the first African woman to serve as Director General of Amref Health Africa, leading community health programs across more than 35 African countries. Prior to this, she spent over two decades at the World Health Organization (WHO) in senior roles, including WHO Representative to Botswana and Nepal, and as Africa’s UN Liaison in New York.
Notably, she served as Acting Director of WHO’s Global Program on AIDS, where she co-led the groundbreaking "3 by 5 Initiative," accelerating access to antiretroviral therapy in low-resource settings.
Dr. Guerma began her career as a frontline physician in Burundi in 1985, where she identified the country's first AIDS cases—an early signal of her enduring commitment to global public health and health equity.
Dr. Guerma’s career began in 1985 as a physician in Burundi, where she identified the nation’s first AIDS cases—a discovery that foreshadowed her future in combating infectious diseases. Her early work in resource-limited settings exposed her to the intersection of poverty, gender inequality, and healthcare inaccessibility. Armed with a specialization in infectious diseases and a fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians, she joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 1990s, launching a 20-year tenure marked by groundbreaking contributions.
At WHO, Dr. Guerma held transformative roles, including WHO Representative to Botswana and Nepal, where she strengthened national health systems amid HIV/AIDS and maternal health crises. As Africa’s UN liaison in New York, she amplified the continent’s health priorities on the global stage. Her most notable achievement came as Acting Director of the WHO Global Program on AIDS, where she co-led the “3 by 5 Initiative”—a bold campaign to provide antiretroviral therapy to 3 million people in low-income countries by 2005. This initiative laid the groundwork for modern HIV treatment accessibility, saving countless lives.
In 2010, Dr. Guerma shattered barriers as the first African woman Director General of Amref Health Africa, a premier NGO operating in over 35 countries. Under her leadership, Amref expanded community-led health programs, training thousands of frontline health workers and advocating for policy reforms. Her focus on maternal and child health, coupled with her insistence on local ownership of solutions, cemented her reputation as a leader who blends pragmatism with compassion.
In 2015, driven by the stark shortage of skilled midwives in Ethiopia—where only 26% of births are attended by professionals—Dr. Guerma founded LeDeG Midwifery College using her personal funds. This social enterprise trains midwives to deliver culturally competent, evidence-based care in rural and underserved areas. LeDeG’s curriculum emphasizes emergency obstetric skills, neonatal care, and community engagement, graduating over 500 midwives to date. These graduates have collectively managed more than 200,000 safe deliveries, reducing maternal mortality rates in their regions by up to 40%.
A Legacy of Accolades and Advocacy
Dr. Teguest Guerma’s journey—from clinician to global health luminary—is a testament to the power of visionary leadership. Through LeDeG, she continues to address systemic inequities, proving that sustainable change begins with investing in local healthcare heroes. As she often states, “Empowering a midwife is empowering a community.” In a world grappling with health disparities, her work reminds us that solutions lie in education, equity, and unwavering resolve.
Call to Action: Support initiatives like LeDeG Midwifery College to help train the next generation of midwives. Follow Dr. Guerma’s work and join the movement for equitable healthcare—because every mother deserves a safe birth.
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