Executive Director: Dr Arsène KPANGON
Director of neglected tropical diseases: Dr E. AVOKPAHO
Director of Non-Communicable Diseases: Dr F. GANKPE
Director of Communicable Diseases: Dr A. KPANGON
Community health and ophthalmology manager: Dr D. SACRAMENTO
Community manager
Logistics manager: Gildas AVOKPAHO
Administrative secretary :
Accountant :
Dr Euripide AVOKPAHO is a Beninese epidemiologist, public health specialist and vaccination expert. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Paris and a Doctorat d’Etat en Médecine from the University of Parakou, specializing in tropical medicine, international health and global health project management.
With over a decade’s experience, he combines operational expertise with a commitment to research. Currently a Consultant Public Health Physician at the Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP) in Benin, he contributes to the strengthening of expanded immunization programs, including the introduction of new vaccines and epidemic response. He has also worked as an epidemiologist for Médecins Sans Frontières, supporting the fight against dengue fever in Burkina Faso, and has coordinated several projects to combat malaria and parasitic diseases.
At the same time, Dr AVOKPAHO is conducting applied research into the evaluation of vaccine policies and the impact of public health interventions. He played a key role in the DeWORM3 project, focused on helminth elimination, and is involved in studies on the introduction and efficacy of new vaccines in Africa. His expertise in epidemiological surveillance and data analysis reinforces his commitment to better evidence-based decision-making.
He actively contributes to strategies to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases and improve health systems in Africa.
As part of his research activities at LERAS, Dr AVOKPAHO is coordinating a multi-country study (Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire) on behavioral, social and health system factors influencing hesitancy to routine vaccination and vaccination against COVID19.
Dr Fortuné GANKPE is a neurosurgeon at the CNHU Hubert Maga in Cotonou. After completing his doctorate in medicine, he obtained a master’s degree in international health and completed his clinical training in neurosurgery in Morocco. His clinical interests focus on brain tumor surgery, skull base surgery and global neurosurgery. Dr GANKPE is also an expert in international health, and over the past 10 years has developed expertise in strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries in Africa.
He collaborates with numerous national and international clinical and research institutions, including the Johns Hopkins University Center for Humanitarian Health, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Washington, D.C., and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development in the Netherlands. He is the author and co-author of several scientific articles, two books on social inequalities in health and a book chapter on neurosurgery.
He is currently completing a fellowship in Global Neurosurgery at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA.
I’m an infectious diseases and public health physician. I am a member of several national and international scientific societies (Société Béninoise de Pathologies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Panafrican Thoracic Society, British Thoracic Society). I am author or co-author of around ten scientific publications referenced on Pubmed.
I was co-investigator of the BOLD study in Benin, and winner in 2015 of a call for applications for an International Grant.The American Thoracic Society awarded me a Certificate of Scientific Merit for my work on the link between indoor air pollution and first-line tuberculosis treatment failure.
I was appointed in 2014 as “Junior faculty” for the supervision of the clinical and operational research methodology course in Nairobi, Kenya.
Also between 2014 and 2016 I was the West and Central Africa representative of Emerging Talent for International Health.
My topics of interest are antimicrobial resistance and air pollution.
Daria Sacramento Akpo MD, MPH has held a state doctorate in medicine since 2012 and graduated in ophthalmology in 2018. She also has public management skills thanks to the YALI leadership program initiated by President Barack Obama in 2019. In 2020, she was certified in the planning and management of eye care services. Since 2022, Dr. Daria has also held a Master’s degree in public health, with a specialization in epidemiology.
Dr Christhosanna Eméraude GANKPE is a dynamic and versatile general practitioner. Graduating in 2018 with a State Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Parakou, she has developed solid expertise through varied experience in clinical, community and academic settings.
Her professional career is marked by a diversified medical practice in several hospital structures where she participated in public health campaigns, such as the fight against malaria and the management of malnutrition. Currently, Dr. GANKPE works as a prison doctor at the Parakou Prison (North Benin), where she puts her expertise at the service of a vulnerable public, while continuing to meet medical challenges in a unique environment.
In addition to her clinical skills, she has also made a name for herself in the field of scientific research. She co-authored a scientific article entitled “Do mutual health insurance schemes reproduce health inequalities in Benin?” published in a journal specializing in public health and development. This commitment to research demonstrates her desire to improve the healthcare system and contribute to scientific debate.
Honest, punctual, intelligent, gifted and a remarkable team player, Dr. GANKPE combines rigor and humanity in the practice of her profession.
I hold a diploma as a specialized technician in multi-purpose nursing, obtained in 2023 from the École Nationale Privée in Rabat, Morocco. Prior to that, I obtained a professional license in sociology-anthropology, option research assistant, in 2017 at the University of Parakou in Benin, as well as a professional license in public health and epidemiological surveillance in 2012 at the same institution. My academic career began with the Baccalauréat scientifique in 2008 at Collège Monseigneur Steinmetz in Bohicon, Benin.
My professional experience in the health field includes my participation in the DEWORM3 project, the Results-Based Financing (RBF) project and the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in Benin. This enabled me to develop expertise in the management of public health projects and to strengthen my skills in health intervention.
I have solid expertise in conducting social and health research, writing research protocols, managing health surveys, and analyzing and interpreting health data. I have also developed a strong ability to assess patients’ health status and provide them with care adapted to their needs.
My main areas of professional interest include the fight against communicable and non-communicable diseases, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cancer, COVID-19 and Lassa fever. I am passionate about public health issues and wish to contribute to the reduction of disease and the improvement of health conditions for vulnerable populations.
Health remains a major challenge in Africa, due to the lack of health coverage. LERAS Afrique is committed to supporting action-research initiatives to improve health in Benin and across the continent.