Professor Julio Rakotonirina is the Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs at African Union Commission since October 2022. Before, Professor Julio was based in Madagascar and has worked through the health system, from Primary health center to Director of University Hospital and in 2019/2020 he was the Minister of Public Health of Madagascar. He has skills more than 20 years in African countries, especially Madagascar, Benin, and Comoros, as an Expert-Consultant, Medical Doctor, Specialist in Public Health (PhD) and Professor in Epidemiology. He has strong and evolving skills in health system management and in epidemic management. As a Researcher he has conducted, with co-autors, research/evaluation and published scientific articles (www.researchgate.net/profile/Julio_Rakotonirina). He is actively involved in International and African multidisciplinary expert networks, including DEMOSTAF project, Demography Statistics for Africa and PERSUADE-II project, Partnership to enhance technical support for analytical capacity and data use for Malaria, TB and HIV in Southern and Eastern Africa.