Five scientists who guarded a continent's health receive Africa's highest public health honour

In Abuja, the Pan-African Academy of Public Health has named five new Distinguished Fellows — its highest honour — for lifetimes spent strengthening health systems across Africa. The recipients span the continent: Tunisia's health minister Prof. Mustapha Ferjani, Zambian immunologist Prof. Nkandu Luo, WHO Regional Director for Africa Prof. Mohamed Janabi, Senegal's former health minister Prof. Awa Marie Coll Seck, and Prof. Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, who leads DR Congo's National Institute of Biomedical Research. Together their careers cover outbreak response, laboratory science, health policy and the unglamorous, essential work of building institutions that protect millions.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: individual leader