Staff Reporter.
The University of Pretoria (UP) has awarded Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus an honorary doctorate on Friday, in recognition of his outstanding contributions as a global health expert, scholar, advocate and diplomat.
Ghebreyesus is a malaria expert with a Ph.D. in community health from the University of Nottingham in the UK. He also has a Master of Science in immunology of infectious diseases from the University of London and a Bachelor of Biology from the University of Asmara.
The 58-year-old – who attended the graduation ceremony accompanied by this wife and two children – was part of the School of Medicine graduations which conferred Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degrees and postgraduate degrees to a total of 557 graduates.
“It is a privilege for the University of Pretoria to honour such an outstanding health leader for his many and significant contributions, which span three decades,” said Professor Tiaan de Jager, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in a statement issued by the university on Saturday.
In 1997, Nelson Mandela was awarded an honorary law doctorate here at @UPTuks for his commitment to equality, justice & reconciliation. Today, with great pride & humility, I received an honorary doctorate at the same place & am grateful to join the University of Pretoria family. pic.twitter.com/ln0nVzOIH6
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 21, 2023
Speaking during his acceptance speech, Ghebreyesus who was re-elected as WHO’s head for a second term last May, paid tribute to former president Nelson Mandela’s unwavering spirit to change the world for the better and to award-winning singer Brenda Fassie, paraphrasing one of her songs as a congratulatory message to new graduates.
Centring his remarks around a few themes – anything is possible; challenges come with opportunities; continuous improvement (change is a constant) and humanity first, Ghebreyesus told the assembly that when he grew up in Ethiopia, he saw the first hand the ravages of violence, poverty and disease in his community.
Emphasising that anything is possible, he said he never imagined that he would one day be a leader of global organisation. “Mother’s prayer was for me to survive just another day,” he said.
Ghebreyesus, who was born in Asmara (now part of Eritrea), held high-ranking positions in healthcare before his election in 2017 as director-general of the WHO – an appointment that saw him become the first African to lead the global public health agency.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.