
Dear partners, alumni and friends
I am humbled and honoured to return to the role of director of the renamed Africa Centre for Inclusive Health Management (formerly the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management) located in the Economic & Management Sciences Faculty at Stellenbosch University. It is with great respect for the Africa Centre’s legacy and enthusiasm for its future contribution and impact in the world that I write to update you on our new strategic direction, academic programmes, research and expanded focus.
Honouring our legacy
For more than two decades, the Africa Centre has contributed towards management capacity and skills in the fight against HIV/Aids globally. We have graduated more than 4 000 postgraduate diploma and over 600 master’s students from 25 African countries and 30 countries in the rest of the world to date. We’re set to have our first PhD graduates in 2026. Through impactful research, transformative learning and teaching as well as robust community engagement, the Africa Centre has been instrumental in combatting one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. This remains an integral part of our foundational identity and mission.
A new era of inclusive health management
The global health landscape has evolved and continues to do so, together with the nature of health challenges. To remain at the forefront of addressing these challenges and remain relevant to society, we have expanded our focus to encompass broader issues of health management. This transition, as informed by our strategic revisioning process, reflects the interconnectedness of HIV/Aids with other critical public health priorities. These include non-communicable diseases, climate change, traditional health systems, mental health, community health, health equity and health system strengthening.
Our new name encapsulates our expanded vision and focus. It signals a commitment to leveraging our expertise in HIV/Aids management to address health inclusivity comprehensively and sustainably towards an equitable and just society.
Strategic changes and new programmes
The Africa Centre has developed a robust strategic framework that aligns with its refreshed mission. Key changes include:
- Innovative academic programmes
- A revised Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/Aids Management with an inclusive health focus, maintaining its emphasis on managing HIV/Aids while incorporating health equity, social justice, critical management skills, public health leadership and systems-based solutions.
- New online short courses tailored for health practitioners, community role players, health professionals and policymakers across Africa, providing flexible, accessible, contextually relevant and transformative learning experiences. These courses will be launched in 2025 and the revised Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/Aids Management will commence in 2026.
- The above changes to our academic offering represent the first steps in the implementation of our new strategy. Moving forward, we will introduce accredited programmes and postgraduate diplomas in inclusive health management and community health management between 2027 and 2030. These academic programmes will be designed to equip community groups, leaders, health and other professionals with the skills to tackle emerging and re-emerging health challenges and foster transformative and inclusive innovation and change.
- Strengthened research agenda
- Our research will continue to address HIV/Aids, while broadening to include and interface cross-cutting issues such as socio-ecological dynamics of health, the social and commercial determinants of health, disability, intersectionality, the political economy of health, decolonising global health, traditional and other systems of health towards systemic solutions inspired by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and other frameworks of action.
- Community engagement and partnerships
- Renew our focus on inclusive health practices in strategic partnerships with community structures and faith-based organisations, the media, governments, national and international organisations, research institutions and key populations to create sustainable impact.
- Develop active cross-disciplinary partnerships, enabling collaborative approaches to address complex health challenges and related asymmetric power structures to facilitate systemic impact and change.
Rationale for change
Our transition is rooted in empirical evidence, stakeholder insights and alignment with frameworks such as the Africa Health Strategy (2016-2030), Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UHC frameworks of action, which advocate for sustainable, equitable, integrated, robust and people-centred health systems that leave no one behind. While HIV/Aids continues to demand attention and effective leadership, its impact cannot be fully addressed in isolation. Health outcomes are influenced by broader social, economic, commercial, structural and systemic factors that require integrated approaches.
Inclusive health management, grounded in critical management theory, offers the skills to interrogate and redesign health systems to ensure equitable access, efficient delivery and social justice. By expanding our focus, we are positioning ourselves to add even more value to the fight against HIV/Aids and emerging and re-emerging current and future epidemics/pandemics while addressing intersecting health challenges.
Acknowledging our contributors
I want to express my deepest gratitude to the dedicated staff, previous directors, partners, alumni and other stakeholders who contributed to this strategy process. Your deep insight, humble expertise and commitment have inspired and shaped a vision that is both ambitious and achievable.
I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Africa Centre’s previous and current governing board, the EMS faculty, colleagues and various leadership structures across Stellenbosch University. Your leadership, guidance and unwavering support have been instrumental in steering this transition and ensuring the alignment of our mission with thestrategic research pillars and 2040 vision of the university.
Looking ahead
To our alumni, students, partners and supporters, I want to assure you that the work we are known for ─ combatting HIV/Aids ─ remains a cornerstone of our mission. The shift in focus is not a departure but an expansion. It enhances the value of our existing work, ensuring that our contributions remain relevant, impactful and sustainable.
We are excited to announce that our new online short courses will launch in mid-2025 and the revised Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/Aids Management with an inclusive health focus will be introduced in 2026. These programmes, alongside our research and community engagement, will equip health professionals with the knowledge and tools to lead transformative change across health systems.
Your ongoing support and partnership are critical to the success of this transition. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful difference in public health across Africa and beyond. I invite you to join us on this exciting journey. Whether through collaboration, enrolment in our new programmes or shared advocacy, your engagement will help shape the future of inclusive health management.
Thank you for your commitment to the Africa Centre. I look forward to engaging with you as we take these transformative steps together.
Yours sincerely,
