Global Health Webinar Series
In the endeavour to encourage and inspire more colleagues to have their research matter, the Department of Global Health has launched a webinar series showcasing stories of knowledge to action.
For queries, contact Ms Chanelle Windvogel on [email protected]
The Lancet Regional Health - Africa: A new journal for the region | Global Health Webinar Series
Join the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University for an informative webinar introducing The Lancet Regional Health – Africa, a new open-access journal focused on advancing clinical practice and health policy across the continent.
This session features presentations from:
Dr Catherine Draper
Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Regional Health – Africa
Dr Hlengiwe Madlala
Senior Editor, The Lancet Regional Health – Africa
The webinar is facilitated by Professor Mark Tomlinson, Co-director of the Institute for Life Course Health Research.
The discussion explores the journal’s purpose, its commitment to supporting high-quality African research, and its role in improving health outcomes regionally and globally.
Webinar Series
Lived Experiences & Understandings of Disability in Everyday Health Practice | Global Health Webinar
In this powerful and deeply personal Global Health webinar, Dr Vic McKinney, a quadriplegic scholar and activist, shares his lived experiences of disability within the healthcare system — from early rehabilitation to his current work as a postdoctoral fellow in Disability and Rehabilitation Studies at Stellenbosch University.
Dr McKinney explores how personal experience, education, and professional practice intersect in shaping our understanding of disability. Through candid reflections, he highlights:
- The social and medical factors that govern perceptions of disability
- The importance of inclusive healthcare and communication
- The role of education in empowering professionals and patients alike
- The need for genuine partnership between health practitioners and people with disabilities
Facilitated by Dr. Michelle Botha, this session invites reflection, empathy, and change in how we approach disability in health practice.
Recorded live on August 11, 2025
Hosted by the Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, Stellenbosch University
What Makes a Patient? Rethinking Disability in Health Practice | Dr Vic McKinney
Hosted by the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University, this thought-provoking webinar explores how disability is experienced and understood within everyday healthcare. Dr Vic McKinney, Postdoctoral Fellow in Disability and Rehabilitation Sciences, draws on both personal and collective experiences to challenge traditional notions of patienthood.
Facilitated by Dr Michelle Botha, the discussion highlights the challenges posed by historically ableist medical structures and explores the power dynamics, internalised oppression, and social capital that shape patient experiences. The session concludes with actionable recommendations for fostering inclusive rehabilitation partnerships.
Key Topics:
• Lived experiences of people with disabilities in health systems
• Medical vs. social models of disability
• Power relations in rehabilitation practice
• Building inclusive, participatory healthcare education and practice
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Vic McKinney is a quadriplegic disability advocate and academic, whose work spans grassroots activism to national policy. His research and teaching aim to prepare future professionals to engage meaningfully with disability in their everyday practice.
A Decade of Pandemics in Africa: Lessons, Challenges & Opportunities | Dr Mosoka Fallah | Africa CDC
This Global Health Webinar, hosted by Stellenbosch University’s Department of Global Health, features Dr. Mosoka P. Fallah, Acting Director of Science and Innovation at Africa CDC. Drawing on over a decade of experience, Dr. Fallah explores the challenges and opportunities in responding to pandemics and epidemics across Africa. Facilitated by Prof. Peter Nyasulu, the session reflects on lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the COVID-19 response, and the critical need for investment in health systems, research infrastructure, and local capacity.
Rolling the wheels of collaboration: Tobacco control policy development and alcohol policy implementation in Zambia.
Date: 25 June 2025 | 14h00-15h00
Venue: MS Teams
Dr Adam Silumbwe
Lecturer and researcher,
Department of Health Policy and Management,
School of Public Health, University of Zambia
Dr. Adam Silumbwe is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zambia’s School of Public Health. A WHO-TDR Implementation Research alumnus, he has mentored future researchers while leading studies on tobacco control and alcohol policy. Recently completing his PhD in Public Health at Umeå University, Sweden, Dr. Silumbwe now coordinates NIH-funded projects tackling NCD risk factors and trauma in Zambia.
Implementation of the advanced HIV disease package of care using a public health approach: lessons from Senegal.
Date: 10 June 2025 | 12h00-13h30
Venue: MS Teams
Dr Moussa Sarr
Principal Investigator & Head of
the Cooperation Group at the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training (IRESSEF) in Dakar, Senegal.
Dr. Moussa Sarr is a physician and epidemiologist with over 25 years of experience in public health research and program implementation. He has led and supported numerous projects across Africa, Asia, and North America, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, vaccines, and maternal and child health.