By Ojoma Akor
The Academy of Public Health, the flagship body of the West African Institute of Public Health, has announced the recipients of this year’s Distinguished Fellowship of the Academy of Public Health (DFAPH).
The DFAPH is the highest fellowship rank in the Roll of Fellows of the academy.
A statement from the organization yesterday said the four recipients are: Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Professor Agnes Binagwaho, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate and Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou.
The eminent personalities for the DFAPH were nominated by the selection committee of the APH, with inputs from the young professionals in public health across Africa, for their demonstrated leadership in working towards ensuring equity, better health and wellbeing for all.
They are being recognised for their outstanding work in public health in Africa and beyond.
A brief on each of the 2025 Nominees to the Distinguished tier of The Fellows’ Roll are as follows:
Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma
Ahmed Ogwell is a global health expert with three decades of experience at national, regional, and global levels. He is the CEO and President of VillageReach, leading a team of professionals dedicated to strengthening primary health care systems that serve under-reached communities.
Previously, he was Vice President for Global Health Strategy at the United Nations Foundation, where he advanced global health policy, advocacy, and leadership initiatives.
Before that, Dr. Ogwell served as Acting Director and founding Deputy Director-General of the Africa CDC, guiding the continent’s response to major health threats such as COVID-19, Ebola, and cholera, while championing the New Public Health Order for Africa. He has also held distinguished roles at the World Health Organization and Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
An alumnus of the University of Nairobi, the University of Bergen, and Harvard Business School, Dr. Ogwell is a Fellow of the Academy of Public Health. He is married with children.
Professor Agnes Binagwaho
Professor Agnes Binagwaho is a Rwandan pediatrician and global health leader with more than two decades of experience in health system reform, policy leadership, and education. She served as Rwanda’s Minister of Health from 2011 to 2016, where she led transformative programs in immunization, HIV/AIDS control, and maternal and child health, positioning Rwanda as a model for equitable health access in Africa.
Before that, she was Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Control Commission and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health. Professor Binagwaho co-founded the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) and served as its Vice Chancellor, pioneering a new model of health education rooted in equity and social justice.
She is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Medical School and a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. A respected scholar, she has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and continues to champion health equity worldwide.
Professor Muhammad Ali Pate
Ali Pate is a physician, health economist, and global health leader with over three decades of experience in health systems strengthening, policy reform, and development finance. He currently serves as Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, leading the nation’s agenda for universal health coverage and health security.
Before his current role, Professor Pate served as Global Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population at the World Bank and as Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, where he led major investments to improve health outcomes in low-
and middle-income countries. He previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, where he championed polio eradication and immunization expansion.
A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, with advanced degrees from Harvard and Duke University, Professor Pate continues to shape global health policy and leadership in Africa and beyond.
Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou
Sheila Tlou is a renowned nurse, academic, and global health leader from Botswana, with over three decades of experience in health policy, education, and HIV/AIDS advocacy. She served as
Botswana’s Minister of Health from 2004 to 2008, where she led one of Africa’s most successful HIV prevention and treatment programs, expanding access to care and strengthening community health systems.
She later served as Regional Director for the UNAIDS Eastern and Southern Africa Region, providing leadership and coordination for HIV response across 21 countries. Professor Tlou also co-chaired the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and the Nursing Now Global Campaign, promoting gender equity and the critical role of nurses in achieving universal health coverage.
She holds a PhD in Nursing Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago and advanced degrees from Columbia University and the Catholic University of America. Professor Tlou continues to champion health equity and empowerment across Africa.
The Distinguished Fellowship recipients lead the Fellows’ Roll for their exceptional leadership and service to humanity in making a difference in the lives of people and inspiring young leaders to also excel in their public health work.
The Distinguished Fellowship of the Academy of Public Health (with post nominal scripts “DFAPH”) was established by the Academy of Public Health in 2016 as a special fellowship Award for outstanding leaders making impact in public health, especially in ways that will positively impact on health systems in Africa and beyond.
The West African Institute of Public Health, which is a leading regional nonstate health development organisation working in enabling environment, professional development, research, standards, consulting and advisory services., as well as programme implementation.
The Academy of Public Health is the pan-African membership arm cum faculty of the Institute, and focuses on building a strong network of highly skilled and competent public health practitioners. The Institute is also the keeper of the regional charter of public health.
Award recipients are formally being notified of their awards and the date for the Annual Conference and Induction Workshop is Thursday November 24, 2025, at Yar’Adua Conference Center, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria.
