UP’s Deputy Dean of Stakeholder Relations, Professor Flavia Senkubuge, has been selected to participate in The Kofi Annan Fellowship in Public Health Leadership Programme. The African Union Commission launched the fellowship on 25 May 2020 in partnership with The Kofi Annan Foundation. The Fellowship aims to support aspirational public health leaders (Fellows) in Africa in acquiring advanced skills and competencies to strategise, manage and lead public health programmes that will positively transform public health in Africa. Prof Senkubuge is a well-respected public health leader on the African continent and globally. Her work is rooted in the African philosophy of ‘Ubuntu’ (I am because we are) and she is a philanthropist at heart with a passion for mentoring the next generation of leaders.

The fellowship is aimed at senior public health professionals from African Union Member States who have shown their willingness and ability to contribute to and lead the implementation of a new public health order for Africa. The selected Fellows have a passion for developing the next generation of public health leaders. Prof Senkubuge’s exceptional career is evidence of her ability to advance the objectives of  the fellowship. She is a medical doctor, Public Health Medicine specialist and global public health advocate. She is the 20^th President of the Colleges of Medicine South Africa (CMSA), attaining a historic election as she is the first black woman and the third woman in 65 years to hold the position. Additionally, she is the current chair of the WHO/Afro region African Advisory Council on Research and Development (AACHRD), concerned with advising the WHO/Afro regional director on matters concerning health research and development in Africa. She is also the president of Women in Global Health (WGH) South Africa.

The Fellowship is part of an effort to mitigate the economic and social effects of public health threats while contributing to the achievement of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Prof Senkubuge’s proposed solution towards the issues challenging the African Public Health sector is to develop an African perspective on health matters: “I feel this fellowship will be a moment of pause, a moment of reflection and self-discovery of a new voice. I want to focus on a homegrown voice which drives that African agenda,” she explains. Her perspective touches on matters such as vaccine inequality, which became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes the questions we should be asking are, “How are we decolonising the health system in Africa? Is the structure or health architecture that we have at the moment in Africa fit enough to ensure that Africans will be healthy?” Ultimately, her aims are to drive a self-sustenance and self-driven agenda in Africa. The Fellowship provides Prof Senkubuge an opportunity to deep- dive into facets of public health together with like-minded, ambitious leaders from across the continent.

Fellows will be mentored in topics such as superior skills in negotiation, an enhanced ability to frame and develop a viable strategic vision for ambitious yet attainable goals for health outcomes, enhanced resilience and skills in effective communication.

Prof Senkubuge is particularly looking forward to learning about new strategies and structures from leaders within the African Union, which will assist in establishing a new African driven agenda and revamping policies to enable change in the African health system.

For Prof Senkubuge, the dynamic moves she makes within the public health sector and the platforms she leads, are done with the healthcare worker on the ground in mind. “Everybody has done such an amazing job and continues to do so,” she says, “we come from a time whereby the COVID-19 pandemic could have decimated our population and the colleagues in the health sector were in charge of the clinical care, strategies and the policies to ensure that we would be okay.” To them she extends a heartfelt thank you and encourages them to prioritise their own health and wellbeing to ensure clarity of mind as they pursue their career ambitions. “You don't always have to be strong. Get yourself mentors and people you can talk to honestly, and do what feels right for you,” she recommends.

UP stands proudly with Prof Senkubuge as she embarks on this journey and continues to advocate for the voice of Africa in the global public health sphere.

To read more about The Kofi Annan Fellowship in Public Health Leadership visit: https://africacdc.org/kofi-annan-global-health-leadership-programme/