Dr. Adilson DePINA, a Cohort 4 graduate of the Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership Programme, currently serves as Executive Secretary (CEO) of CCS-SIDA in Cabo Verde. Prior to this role, Dr. De Pina led Cabo Verde´s Malaria Elimination Programme in Cabo Verde under the Ministry of Health, supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He has also contributed extensively to the implementation of national HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programmes.
For Dr. DePINA, Cabo Verde’s malaria-free certification in January 2024 marked not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new and critical chapter. He recognized that eliminating local malaria transmission was only half the battle; preventing its reintroduction would be the greater challenge. This understanding became the focus of his Leadership Challenge Project (LCP), which sought to assess community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding malaria prevention in the post-elimination era.
The Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership Programme (KAF-GHLP) proved instrumental for Dr. DePINA, offering invaluable skills to sustain a malaria-free Cabo Verde. He recognized that eliminating local cases was only half the battle preventing its reintroduction would be the greater challenge. This critical need became the focus of his Leadership Challenge Project (LCP), which sought to assess community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding malaria prevention in the post-elimination era.
For Dr. DePINA, the project marked a significant personal and professional milestone. Conducted as a case study, his LCP generated valuable evidence on community behaviours and perceptions in a post-elimination context. The findings revealed that while overall awareness of malaria remained high, important knowledge gaps and misconceptions persisted within the community. These insights enabled Dr. DePINA to develop a targeted communication strategy aimed at strengthening community awareness and preventing the reintroduction of malaria.
The ripple effect of Dr. DePINA’s fellowship experience and LCP extends significantly. He has successfully presented the program’s results to his superiors and is actively proposing other national colleagues for future
KAF-GHLP participation. Demonstrating a clear commitment to cultivating future leaders, he is collaborating with Cabo Verde’s public university to introduce a leadership module in master’s degree program focused on data management. Furthermore, he mentors his own students, inspiring them to recognize that achieving impactful positions stems from seizing opportunities, rather than solely from exceptional intelligence or wealth.
Dr. DePINA’s successfully lead his Leadership Challenge Project (LCP), which garnered crucial community insights for preventing malaria reintroduction in Cabo Verde and earned high-level validation.
Looking forward, Dr DePINA hopes for a continues engagement with his peers and suggests establishing the Kofi Annan fellowship will establish thematic alumni working groups on one health, policy advocacy climate and health; encouraging more cross country collaboration and expanding exposure to non-health sectors like climate, urban planning and education.
