UCT Professor Kelly Chibale has been named as one of Fortune magazine’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders for 2018 and we couldn’t be prouder.
Professor Kelly Chibale, the founder and director of ‘H3D’ Africa’s first integrated drug discovery centre, has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s ’50 World’s Greatest Leaders’ for 2018.
He is currently a UCT Professor and has grown H3D into a world-class centre. The centre, located at UCT, has more than 60 researchers. The centre also offers space to around 30 postgraduate (MSc and PhD) research students and postdoctoral fellows from his academic group.
His facilities are state-of-the-art, thanks to various partnerships with the Gates Foundation‚ Medicines for Malaria Venture‚ Novartis and the South African government. The facility mainly focusses on drugs to combat Malaria and TB. Professor Kelly’s goal is to create drugs that can be used and avoid the human body from becoming drug resistant.
Professor Kelly believes that there is room for the African continent to make meaningful contributions towards medical discoveries versus usually being reliant on medical discoveries from abroad.
“We need to demonstrate that Africa has more to offer than the mere opportunity for human clinical trials.”
“Africa has largely been a recipient of Western research. It is time for Africa to also contribute research so that people from other continents can also benefit. The challenges we are trying to address in Africa are not just African challenges but human challenges. In this way, Africa can earn respect.”
Professor Kelly has been humbled to be included on the same list as Bill and Melinda Gates. Both of whom, are working to aid Africa in the fight against malaria. He hopes that African based millionaires and billionaires will follow in the famous couple’s footsteps and also work towards fighting the disease.
“Although I have no right to tell African billionaires and millionaires how they should use their money‚ I would like them to consider following the example set by Bill and Melinda by investing in scientific research in Africa.”
“Africa is no longer just a place to conduct human malaria clinical trials. Africa is now also a place for malaria drug discovery and development. It is important to combat malaria‚ not just because of the unacceptably high numbers of deaths it is responsible for‚ especially among our children‚ but also because malaria continues to choke economic growth on the continent.”
Professor Kelly hopes his story, from poverty in Zambia to world-leading professor, will inspire many to never give up on their dreams. He believes it doesn’t matter where you start in life, but where you end up that counts.
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