The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) has appointed Dr Constance Shumba, a faculty member, Department of Population Health at Aga Khan University’s Medical College, East Africa as an affiliate member for the period 2021-2025.
The AAS is a not-for-profit pan African organisation whose vision is to see transformed lives on the African continent through science. Its mandate is recognising excellence through highly prestigious fellowship and award schemes, providing advisory and think tank functions for shaping Africa’s science, technology and innovation strategies and policies towards addressing Africa’s developmental challenges.
Acknowledging her appointment, Dr Shumba said, “I am excited to have been appointed as an affiliate member of the AAS. I am honoured to have been given this opportunity to serve in this prestigious organisation. I will strive to serve with utmost dedication and commitment towards the success of the organisation.”
Dr Shumba holds a PhD and MSc in Global Health from Queen Margaret University, Institute for Global Health and Development, Edinburgh, Scotland, a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy, Health Studies, University of South Africa, and BSc, Health Education and Health Promotion, University of Zimbabwe.
Prof Lukoye Atwoli, Dean, AKU Medical College, East Africa said, “We are very proud of Dr Shumba’s appointment as a member of the AAS. Her passion and commitment in breaking down barriers that marginalised women and girls face in leading healthy and dignified lives will be crucial to the organisation.”
She has worked with several global health agencies in Africa and Asia for the last 16 years, leading the design and delivery of complex health and nutrition programs. She has several peer-reviewed publications, and is currently supervising three PhD students. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, UK.
Dr Shumba is the third affiliate member of AAS from the AKU family. She joins Professor Amina Abubakar from the Institute of Human Development who was elected to the AAS in 2017 and Professor Marleen Temmerman from the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health in East Africa who was inducted as a fellow in 2019.
Her research interests include the design and delivery of complex high quality and scalable interventions for various health priorities and vulnerable populations in fragile settings. She is interested in the application of health systems theories and frameworks to understand how various health service and program models can promote health and well-being, and inform policy and practice.
