Dr. Austin Demby is currently the Minister of Health and Sanitation for the Government of Sierra Leone. Prior to assuming his current role, Dr. Demby served as the Acting Director of the Office of Global Health at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Dr. Demby began his public health career in 1980 as a research scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2014-2015, Dr. Demby played a key leadership role in the U.S. Government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. He was the first official from the United States Government to conduct a rapid technical assessment of the situation in Sierra Leone and to sound the alarm to the global community. Dr. Demby deployed five times in various capacities to Sierra Leone.

Dr. Demby holds a doctorate degree in Clinical Microbiology from the University of London, England, a master’s degree in public health-epidemiology/biostatistics from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.