The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) has appointed Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Dean of the Medical College, East Africa, Professor Lukoye Atwoli to serve as a member of the President’s Council on Health Security for a one-year term.
The AAHC President’s Council, a signature initiative of the Association, aims to advance thought leadership, foster sharing of best practices and accelerate innovation.
The AAHC President’s Councils are deliberative bodies that examine critical issues that impact academic health centers, formulate consensus statements, and share best practices. By convening academic health center leaders, individuals with in-depth expertise in a relevant area, and key facilitators, AAHC President’s Councils serve as a vital resource for complex and pressing issues facing academic health center leaders.
Speaking while accepting the appointment, Prof Atwoli said, “It’s an honour to be appointed to serve as a member of the prestigious President’s Council on health security. I will use my expertise and experience to develop innovative and relevant solutions to health approaches that aim to improve health, funding initiatives and contribute to policy decisions in both national and international bodies to advance our health security goals.”
The mandate of the President’s Council on Health Security is to examine the role of academic health centers in advancing readiness, response and recovery to events that adversely impact the health status of individuals and populations.
Other than being Dean of the Medical College at AKU, Prof Atwoli also holds visiting and honorary positions at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the University of Cape Town.
In addition, Prof Atwoli leads and participates in mental health research locally and globally. He is a member of the WHO World Mental Health Surveys Consortium, which is the leading collaborative project in psychiatric epidemiology globally.
Recently, he was appointed to serve on the Board on Global Health by The US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for a period of three years.
Last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Prof Atwoli as the Chairperson of the board of Kenya’s largest public psychiatric hospital, the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital. Prof Atwoli is also the Secretary-General of the African Association of Psychiatrists (AAP) and President-Elect of the African College of Neuropsychopharmacology (AfCNP).
