Admiral John O. Agwunobi, MD, MBA, MPH
Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
John O. Agwunobi was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 17, 2005, to be Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and an Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. As the ASH, Admiral Agwunobi serves as the Secretary’s primary advisor on matters involving the nation’s public health and science. He also oversees the U.S. Public Health Service and its Commissioned Corps for the Secretary.
As Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Agwunobi’s responsibilities include disease prevention, health promotion, women’s and minority health, the reduction of health disparities, the fight against HIV/AIDS, blood safety, pandemic influenza planning and vaccine preventable disease. He is actively involved in the push for improvements in research and enhanced access to quality health care. He currently serves as the Department’s representative on the World Health Organization’s executive board.
Prior to becoming the ASH, Dr. Agwunobi served as Florida’s Secretary of Health, from October 2001 to September 2005. As Secretary, he confronted many public health challenges including leading the state’s public health and medical response to the unprecedented four major hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004. Dr. Agwunobi led the state’s response to the nation’s first-ever intentional anthrax attack in 2001. He subsequently guided Florida’s nationally-recognized efforts to prepare the state against bioterrorism.
Before moving to Florida, Dr. Agwunobi, a pediatrician, served simultaneously as vice president of a pediatric rehabilitation hospital and medical director for an affiliated managed care plan in Washington, D.C.
Admiral Agwunobi sees his role as Assistant Secretary for Health as an opportunity to improve the overall health of all Americans through efforts to further the missions of the U.S. Public Health Service and its partners in the public health and medical community.
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