Dr. Rana Hajjeh

Dr. Rana Hajjeh joined the Population Council as President in September 2024.  

Hajjeh has more than 30 years of experience in global health research, programs, policy, and management. She previously served as Director of Program Management for the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. In this capacity, she directed all technical programs—including women’s and children’s health, communicable and non-communicable diseases, health systems, environmental health, and research and information systems—for a region of 22 countries, including many in chronic emergency situations.  

Hajjeh previously served for 23 years at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among her achievements, she directed the GAVI Initiative to introduce Hib vaccines to millions of children in limited resource countries. She also led responses to major epidemics, including meningitis in Africa and Saudi Arabia, cholera in Haiti, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia, and Ebola in West Africa. 

Born in Lebanon, Hajjeh holds a Medical Doctor (MD) degree from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon; is American board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases; and trained in epidemiology at the CDC. Her accolades include the prestigious US Federal Employee of the Year Award in 2014 for her global vaccine work. Hajjeh has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, serves as a reviewer for multiple journals, and holds visiting professor positions in medicine and public health at Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, and AUB.