On 27 February 2023, medical doctor, epidemiologist, and global health expert Professor Stella Anyangwe delivered a stirring speech at the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme (KAGHLP) opening dinner that was held at the Javett Art Centre, University of Pretoria.

With a career spanning over four decades, Professor Anyangwe recounted her personal and professional journey, including her World Health Organisation (WHO) leadership positions as country director in four African countries and her three-year Honorary Professorship role at the School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria. She encouraged the 20 second cohort of the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme fellows, from 17 different African countries, to use every opportunity they encounter on their path to their best advantage. The global public health stalwart in her key note address titled, ”Letters to my sons and daughters,“ urged the fellows to seize opportunities presented to them. "It is not how you start. It's how you finish! So you should take advantage of the opportunities and resources you have to make the best of life."

In his welcoming message titled "The art of leading: reimaging leadership”, Professor Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria encouraged the fellows to do things differently and have tangible outcomes. “It cannot be business as usual. We need to reimagine our ways as leaders. We live in a time where a higher level of consciousness and sensitivity is needed, from leaders. Where an innate understanding of the masses and not just the needs of the exclusive few needs to be applied."

The opening dinner follows the grand launch of UP's flagship health leadership platform, the Albert Luthuli Leadership Platform for Health (ALLP Health), which was launched at the International Medical Education Leaders Forum (IMELF) on 22 February 2023 at Future Africa. The IMELF was hosted by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa(CMSA) in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), ALLP Health and Life Health. In attendance were  medical deans of African Faculties of Medicine, presidents of at least 14 Colleges of Medicine in Africa,  CEOs of organisations concerned with medical education and global leaders in specialist medical education.

Housed under the Albert Luthuli Leadership Institution (ALLI), the ALLP Health is the brainchild of Professor Flavia Senkubuge, Deputy Dean: Health Stakeholder Relations in the Faculty of Health Sciences as part of her KAGHLP Leadership challenge project and mentored by Prof Derick De Jong, director of ALLI. The ALLP Health is a collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

In his keynote speech and in launching the ALLP, Professor Tawana Kupe, said, “ALLP Health will serve to be a platform for the development of a new African generation of thinkers and leaders in health and be focused on health and systems leadership as a transformative catalyst and enabler to advancing health in complexity focusing on complex and “wicked” health challenges facing Africa and the world.”  

Dr Alex Coutinho, director of the KAGHLP, in his concluding remarks at the KAGHLP dinner explained that the KAGHLP, “supports aspirational African public health leaders in obtaining advanced competencies and skills to manage, strategize and lead public health programmes that will transform public health in Africa. "I think South Africa is perfect for our final residential visit for many reasons—the history of South Africa - the history of inequity, segregation, but also South Africa’s renaissance. Over this week we will have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in South Africa’s past and present so as to gain insight on charting a new renaissance, particularly in health, for Africa."