Pablo Kuri-Morales is a Mexican public health scientist and epidemiologist who currently serves as the Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion in the Secretariat of Health. He is recognized as one of the world health experts in emergencies, security and pandemics. In 2009, he was involved in the response to the 2009 flu pandemic, and he has helped to lead the Mexican response to threats such as anthrax, influenza, ebola, and SARS. He has been part of more than 20 health fieldwork missions and headed the medical response to natural disasters including hurricanes Pauline, Ingrid, Manuel and Odile.
Career
Kuri-Morales earned his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico along with a master's degree in science, specialized in public health. Kuri-Morales is a member of the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico, the Mexican Surgery Academy and the Mexican Public Health Society. He was the General Director of Epidemiology at the Undersecretariat of Prevention and Health Promotion in the Secretariat of Health from 1997 to 2006, transferring to head the National Center for Epidemiological Surveillance and Disease Control between 2007 and 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he worked in the private sector as the Scientific Director of Sanofi Aventis Mexico. Kuri Morales came under fire in 2017 for his closeness to the junk food industry, particularly beverage companies. Confidential documents obtained by Proceso showed how Kuri and other officials ignored concerns raised by the World Health Organization over new labeling standards for junk food; concerns were also raised over the approval of a Sanofi-developed dengue vaccine for Mexican use despite a WHO study warning its use could raise dengue risks.
Teaching, research and publications
Since 1986, he has taught at the UNAM Faculty of Medicine, supervising academic research on diverse topics and educating outstanding health specialists including epidemiologists. To date, he has more than 129 papers in national and international publications on issues relating to epidemiology, addiction prevention and public policies. He has written numerous chapters in books in his field of expertise, with more than 600 total citations.
Awards
In 2015, Kuri-Morales was honored as the person of the year in the Premios ASPID, organized by the Iberoamerican Advertising Communication of Health and Pharmacy. In 2014, he received the Doctor Gerardo Varela Award from the Secretariat of Health. His work “Histopathological registry of neoplasia in Mexico, 1994” obtained first place in the social research category in the Aida Weiss Cancer Program and the University Program of Health Research in October 1996.
