Dr Luo Dapeng (China) was appointed as WHO Representative in Afghanistan in March 2021. Dr Luo has been working in the field of international public health for over 20 years, with particular experience in communicable disease prevention and control, country capacity-building for health security, health system strengthening, particularly at primary health care level, and providing leadership in managing complex emergencies and coordinating the humanitarian health response.

Prior to joining WHO in Afghanistan, Dr Luo served as WHO Representative in Papua New Guinea for almost four years between 2017 and February 2021.

From 2013 to 2016, he worked as a WHO epidemiologist in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where he coordinated and led health emergency and communicable disease programmes. Between 2007 and 2012, Dr Luo was posted in Mongolia as a medical officer focusing on communicable diseases and supporting the Mongolian health system reform. From 2003 to 2006, he worked as a WHO malariologist in Papua New Guinea. In 2002, Dr Luo joined the WHO Mediterranean Centre for Vulnerability Reduction in Tunis, where he mainly worked in Mali and Tunisia.

Prior to joining WHO, Dr Luo worked as an adviser for the Asian Development Bank in Indonesia from 2000 to 2001, where he supported the country’s communicable disease control programme.

Before starting his international public health career, Dr Luo worked with the Chinese national malaria control programme carrying out extensive field work. In this role, he led a field team for falciparum malaria elimination in south Henan province, China, for over 10 years.

Dr Luo obtained his medical degree in China and was trained on medical parasitology and entomology at the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Epidemiology and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr Luo is married and has two children. He is an avid cycler and enjoys walking and reading in his spare time.