The Anambra State Government has appointed United States-based infectious disease specialist, Professor Chinelo Ngozi Animalu, as Special Assistant to the Governor on State HIV Diaspora Coordination and Development.
The appointment, made by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, reflects the administration’s focus on leveraging global partnerships to strengthen local healthcare delivery, particularly in the area of HIV response.
In her new role, Professor Animalu will lead efforts to mobilise international resources and technical expertise, coordinate diaspora partnerships and develop sustainable strategies to advance the state’s HIV response programme.
Professor Animalu currently serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and holds senior medical leadership positions within the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare system. She holds a Doctor of Medicine and a Master of Public Health, both from Tulane University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Healthcare Heroes Award for Community Outreach, alongside several other awards for volunteerism and public service.
The appointment is part of the Soludo administration’s broader strategy of bringing diaspora talent into the state’s governance framework to build a more resilient healthcare ecosystem for the people of Anambra.
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