From Malawi to the World: Ben Phiri Named USC Global Health Fellow
Malawian politician and former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Ben Phiri, has been singled out by the prestigious University of Southern California (USC) as a Global Health Communication Leadership Fellow, cementing his reputation as a dynamic leader with footprints beyond Malawi.
Phiri has been named to USC’s inaugural cohort of African Senior Fellows, a groundbreaking program hosted by the university’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, in collaboration with the Institute on Inequalities in Global Health and the Keck School of Medicine.
He joins a high-powered team of African leaders that includes Yewande Alimi of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jepchirchir Kiplagat of Moi University in Kenya, and a senior leader from South Africa’s Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Together, they will spearhead innovative strategies to bridge health policy and public communication across Africa.
At the heart of the fellowship is a mission to make complex health challenges — from climate change and its impact on HIV and TB to the growing burden of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases — understandable and actionable for ordinary people and policymakers alike.
“This program is about building bridges between health policy and the people most affected by it,” noted USC’s Jonathan Cohen, Adam Powell, and Jung-hwa “Judy” Kang, who are leading the initiative.
Fellows will harness the power of social media, journalism, and community engagement to transform health research into public knowledge that influences both policy and everyday lives.
For Malawi, Phiri’s selection is more than personal recognition — it is a statement that the country remains central in shaping the global conversation on health and governance.
By joining the fellowship, Ben Phiri not only reinforces his image as a forward-thinking leader but also as a Malawian voice in the global health arena, tackling the defining challenges of our time with vision and influence.