Professor Pedro Alonso

Professor Alonso is a physician and epidemiologist with a background in infectious diseases research. He is currently Professor of Global Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science-Hospital Clinic, at the University of Barcelona. He served as the Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme between 2014 and 2022. He was the founding Director of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the President of the Governing Board of the Manhiça Foundation and the founding Director of Manhiça Health Research Centre in Mozambique.

A national of Spain, Professor Alonso has spent over 30 years in public health, mostly in Africa. His scientific research work has focused on key determinants of morbidity and mortality in the most vulnerable population groups. He has published over 500 articles in international peer-reviewed journals – primarily on malaria, vaccine trials and preventive therapies – and has served on several national and international committees. He chaired the Steering Committee that prepared the “Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030” and is a founding member of the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group, the highest committee that advises WHO in the field of malaria.

Professor Alonso is the first researcher that demonstrated insecticide-treated bed nets can prevent mortality among children in Africa. He has conducted pioneering work on malaria vaccine and has been instrumental in the development of the RTS,S vaccine, the world’s first WHO recommended malaria vaccine. He is included in the "top 20" list of most cited authors in the malaria field and also is on list of the 50 most influential people in the vaccines field globally.