Witsies Named in MIPAD’s Global Top 100 Health & Wellness List
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Congratulations to Faculty alumni Drs Anastasia Ugwuanyi and Stavros Nicolaou for making the Health & Wellness Edition of the Class of 2023 honorees in the global 100 lists announced by the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD). MIPAD is a global civil society initiative in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution. It highlights individuals, organizations and governments who have distinguished themselves in the advancement of people of African descent worldwide. Among this year’s honourees are South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla and leaders of esteemed African health organisations. All honourees will be hosted at the opening of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September.
Dr Anastasia Ugwuanyi is a senior clinical educator within the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro (NMFC) programme at the Wits School of Clinical Medicine. This affords her the task of coordinating the integration of medical students in the academic and cultural transition from Cuba to South Africa. Thus far, over 500 young graduate doctors, have gone through the NMFC programme at Wits University since the programme was introduced in 2018. However, the inception of the programme itself dates back to 1997 and has produced over 3000 medical doctors with a focus on primary healthcare training. These professionals have progressed to change the face of health care service provision one community after the other across all the provinces of South Africa.
“What this translates to me is [that] more families and communities in the rural areas increasingly have access to a health care professional, who understands their ecosystem because she or he is from that same environment and this gives depth of meaning to the objective of access to equitable healthcare as a basic human right for all, especially the under-resourced” says Ugwuanyi.
She says that she was “surprised, humbled, encouraged and overwhelmed, to say the least” to have been recognised at such a global level, especially as her focus is to break the paradigm of poverty and its effect on access to healthcare at a community level. She further attests that “With this award, my commitment to medical education as a vehicle for improving the health systems indicators, is strengthened”.
Dr Stavros Nicolaou is the Group Executive of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited - one of South Africa’s most globalised multinational companies; as well as a Chairman of Aspen Pharma Group. Dr Nicolaou has made immense contributions to the international pharmaceutical industry and South Africa.
He played a key role in facilitating the introduction of the first generic ARVs to Africa, which have since saved hundreds of thousands of lives in the continent that is burdened by high HIV infection rates. Alongside many esteemed accolades that he has received in his career, Dr Nicolaou is a former recipient of the South African Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) Health Care Marketer of the Year Award. He is also a fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) and holds an honorary doctorate in medicine from Wits University.
The Faculty of Health Sciences - and the wider Wits University community extend proud congratulations to Witsies Dr Anastasia Ugwuanyi and Dr Stavros Nicolaou for featuring on this auspicious list!