Before his retirement, Dr Jose Nájera was Director of the Division of Control of Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO). He previously served at the WHO as Director of the Division of Control of Tropical Diseases and Director of the Malaria Action Programme.

He served in various roles at the Pan American Health Organization, including serving as Coordinator, Malaria, Parasitic Diseases and Vector Control. He led field research for the WHO in Uganda and Nigeria. Following his retirement from the WHO, Dr Nájera has been a consultant to organizations including the World Bank and the Swedish International Development Agency. He is the author of some 50 papers on malaria epidemiology and control.