Christina Chisembele
It pains the OIE to announce the untimely passing away of Dr. Christina Chisembele at the age of 45. Dr Chisembele passed away on Saturday November 19th, 2011 after a prolonged illness. At the time of her passing, Christina was Deputy-Director of the Department of Veterinary and Livestock Development of the (new) Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Lusaka, Zambia.
Christina Chisembele at this year’s OIE General Session in
Paris, surrounded by Drs. Neo Mapitse, Bonaventure Mtei,
Susanne Munstermann and Joseph Mubanga, OIE Delegate for Zambia
She previously headed the NALEIC, the National Livestock Epidemiology and Information Centre of the Ministry and was for years the national focal point for the notification of animal diseases to the OIE. An UNZA, 1992 veterinarian, she obtained her M.Sc. in Tropical Animal Health and Production at the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp (Belgium) in 2004. In 2009 she briefly joined the Regional Animal Health Centre in Gaborone on FAO contract to work on the development of regional surveillance guidelines for notifiable avian influenza.
Christina Chisembele
She had previously been in charge of several avian influenza related events and projects in Zambia for which she was the technical focal point. She was a respected member of the SADC Sub-Committee on Epidemiology and Informatics. We will remember Christina as an accomplished professional, highly diplomatic, charming, soft spoken and profoundly compassionate towards everyone around her. May her soul rest in peace.
