The book provides an authoritative firsthand account of heroes and heroines who, despite working in very difficult and challenging contexts, have led real transformations in the health of Africans by inspiring others to do more and to become more.
This book is fascinating and a pleasure to read. You can open it at any page and learn how African Public Health people, government health advisors and senior doctors faced the most enormous epidemiological, political and programme management problems, resource shortages and massive social, economic and cultural barriers to improving health and reducing inequalities. And still succeeded. It made me feel a bit like the village policeman reading about the work of the entire Metropolitan police. Essential reading for Public Health programme leadsa though it may well induce you to head for Bamako or Johannesburg to work alongside these people and learn.
As Africans we must celebrate improvements in health and the people who have made them happen, but we must also claim our own future for ourselves. There are many wonderful stories here of how people throughout Africa have worked to improve health - drawing on the strengths of communities, creating innovative ways of delivering services, designing new roles for health workers and calling on help from partners internationally. This rich experience enables us to see how, country by country, we can move towards our goal of offering health care to all our people. Written by Africans, this book is essential reading for African health leaders who want to build on our own traditions and experience. It is also a vital orientation for partners who want to know how they can best support our efforts in a spirit of global solidarity. * Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission *
The current situation gives us hope. The results we have witnessed have opened the minds of our partners to a new way of development, and we hope it will continue. We have accomplished these great gains because of our policies, dedicated health professionals, community health workers and community leaders that are all expert in their field. * The Honourable Dr Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health for Rwanda *
Africa has set for itself a strategic direction as far as health matters are concerned. It has spoken loud and clear for all to hear. What is needed now is the support to be aligned to the implementation of these policies and frameworks at national level. * Advocate Bience Gwanas , former African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs *
It is time for Africa to take-up its responsibilities and move towards effective implementation of health policies and plans, optimizing existing resources and increasing investments in health; while relying on international solidarity to fill the gaps, particularly in low-income countries. * Luis Sambo, Executive Director for the African Region of the WHO *
Although it still faces daunting challenges , Africa has made outstanding progress in health and has been called the best recent story in development. There is a lot that the entire world can learn from these experiences. Through the voices of generations of exceptional leaders, this book provided a welcome account of the exciting developments that are taking place in a once forgotten region of the world. * Professor Julio Frenk, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health *
It is inspiring to read these accounts by African health leaders as a reminder to us all that talented and committed people everywhere in the world can achieve great things. It reminds us that in health we all have something to learn and something to teach. * Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer of England *
Nothing can replace leadership when it comes to promoting health. This excellent book is very unusual in that it finally gives a voice to established and young Africans who are all leaders in their community, nationally and globally. * Professor Baron Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine *
The editors did a great job of bringing together the disparate experiences of the African Health Leaders to reinforce a common message that ran throughout the book: working together, we can achieve more; the very essence of Ubunthu. * Ezeh Commentary *
