Zambian-born Prof Kelly Chibale has been named one of Fortune magazine’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders for 2018.
Prof Kelly Chibale is the founder and director of Africa’s first integrated drug discovery centre whose H3D centre at the University of Cape Town pioneers world-class drug discovery in Africa.
Prof. Chibale who is a Professor of Organic Chemistry has also become known for his pivotal work on malaria.
He was included in Fortune magazine’s annual list of “influential figures we admire most.”
He shares the honour with leaders ranging from Bill and Melinda Gates to the presidents of France‚ Emmanuel Macron‚ and South Korea‚ Moon Jae-in‚ as well as tennis player Serena Williams and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Prof. Chibale said his inclusion on the list was “totally unexpected and overwhelming. I am so grateful to God for this recognition on the global stage”.
Prof. Chibale said he hoped H3D would contribute to a global pipeline of new medicines for malaria and tuberculosis able to circumvent drug resistance.
He said he was inspired by confronting Afro-pessimism and debunking the myth that Africa could not be a source of health innovation.
Fortune magazine said its list looked at all sectors of society to find leaders “who are using their power and influence to make the world a better place”.
Fortune magazine selected Prof. Chibale for his pioneering work in developing infrastructure to support scientific research.
He founded H3D at University of Cape Town in 2010 and officially launched it in 2011.
Starting out with a handful of researchers‚ he has grown H3D into a world-class centre‚ with more than 60 researchers in addition to approximately 30 postgraduate (MSc and PhD) research students and postdoctoral fellows in his academic group.
His team of more than 90 researchers work out of state-of-the-art facilities at UCT thanks to various partnerships‚ including the Gates Foundation‚ Medicines for Malaria Venture‚ Novartis and the South African government.
H3D mainly works in the fields of tuberculosis and malaria and already has a potential drug for malaria in human trials.
“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.”
Prof. Chibale is a firm advocate of the widespread benefits of research.
“Research is not a luxury. It provides solutions‚ creates jobs and infrastructure‚ builds capacity as well as expertise‚ attracts foreign direct investment‚ can seed an industry and contributes to reversing the brain drain.”
Prof. Chibale said he was particularly honoured to be included on the Fortune list with Bill and Melinda Gates who have co-founded the Gates Foundation and committed substantial resources to fighting the scourge of malaria‚ tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
“Not only are Bill and Melinda immense contributors to the recognition I have received through the support of our H3D work from their foundation over many years‚ they are both tremendous inspirational and exemplary role models of leaders who serve others.
“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.”
With World Malaria Day coming up on April 25‚ Prof. Chibale said it was imperative to work towards combating malaria.
“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.”
Prof. Chibale’s life story is inspiring. He grew up in extreme poverty in villages and townships in Zambia. His home had no electricity or running water and he shared a single bed in a tiny room with his brother.
But his perseverance and faith propelled him to reach his goals.
“It’s not how you start‚ but how you end up that matters‚” said Prof. Chibale.
He encouraged people to pursue their dreams and to make the most of every opportunity.
Kudos to the prof. We need this not the foolish politics we are always fed on.
I know about Prof Chibale’s work because I have read about it in TIME magazine. Now suppose he had stayed at UNZA, would this have been possible? Of course NO, a million times NO. The reason is that even the best seed when planted in dry barren land will not germinate, grow and yield. It’s that simple. May be he would not even have been a professor at UNZA because it would not have given him the tools to work with. Great work Kelly, I know you will come home one day hopefully to shake things up a bit.
Who is he ?
What has he done for zambia.
People get carried away feeling proud of people that have done nothing for Zambia.
He seems a good man and looks like he has a good between his shoulders. I applaude him.
But so what ? What has he done for zambia then?
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Congratulations Pof Chibale. Zambia is not short of great minds, what we lack is leadership and unfortunately Edgar Lungu is the epitome of Mediocrity.
CONGRATS PROF.
YOU’RE AN INSPIRATION TO OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
ZAMBIAN MINING COMPANIES COULD EASILY SPONSOR RESEARCH AT OUR UNIVERSITIES BUT ENSURE IT’S NOT USED ON TRIPS AND LUXURY VEHICLES.
Mushota and Obatala, are you attending your periods?
Congratulation Prof.
It would be possible for him to be professor from UNZA,unless you say there has been none before,but ,for me the issue is how the professorship becomes useful to the public like Chibale’s
Ndiye banthu aba osati mbuzi izi ati larry mweetwa ma rubbish yeka yeka
@MUSHOTA
It is now confirmed that you suffer from FACTITIOUS DISORDER and also in research that you experience prolonged periods affecting your little mental faculties. Get help from your spouse.
NOTE: Excessive loss of blood is not good for little people.
it cant be, its a lie. there very few educated bembaz in zambian , in fact only 5% according to the book ” tongaz are black jews” unless you said hachibale. stop misleading the masses
what is there not to like abt the above comment? congrats prof. we do hope that one day, research in zambia will be given the attention it deserves! we need people like u at Nisir, Zari, food&drugs at UTH and other research centers , otherwise education remains is a mockery in zambia
I wonder what his view is on Cholera vaccines they are injecting his people with …
Professor Chibale is a good friend of mine and a former colleague who has done very well on the would stage having come from very humble beginnings. Well done Kelly, proud of you.
This is the point. How many times have we heard of some Zambians coming up with innovative ideas? Countless. Our so-called research centres (Mount Makulu in Chilanga), (National Institute of Scientific Research – whatever it is called now on Airport Road), Msekera in Chipata), and others, are nothing but a sorry sight. We used to have JETS (Junior Engineers Technology and Science) shows where young school children used to show-case their flare for science and technology, but who cared?
Sorry ‘on the world stage’
@Mushota, you are either funny or just plain silly, speaking nonsense most times. On this occasion you over-stepped the stupidity boundary. Kelly has given scholarships and supervised PhD students under his own research and countless MSc’s. Most of the PhD holders have gone back to work for UNZA and other parts of the world in Universities and research institutions as well as private sectors. Kelly is highly respected and will not need to tell anyone about the fact that he has a PhD (like you). I am surprise you do not know him. For all his achievements Eddie Lungu should be giving him the highest honour, but if you ask Kelly, he will not need any of that!
Congratulations Professor Kelly Chibale for your achievements that have been recognised on the world stage. Keep it up Prof with your good works! May God bless you richly for being of great help to humanity through your research work. It gives Zambia a whiff of fresh air from the contamination of the country by our politics.
umwaiche wa kwesu kwilala uko tulya ifishimu no mumbu…
A country that’s producing such luminaries how did it end up with a low life, violent and thieving foreign born president?
Some say I have MBA, ACCA, CIMA, PhD, BB2014 and say they are educated! Professor Kelly Chibale well done baba isolating genes in a lab is no small feat and yet they ask “What has he done for zambia.” That’s sickness. Or simply put- A Wicked Child!
Zambia bring home this man!
Lovechibs: Of course it would have been possible for Kelly Chibale to be a professor at UNZA but I just assigned a lower probability to it because UNZA offers pitiful opportunities to conduct cutting edge research for reasons that I understand very well. There is simply no money for that; not when even money to pay salaries and gratuity is something in short supply, not when even subscription to learned journals is something to struggle for.
Thank you very much for making the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise proud, Prof Chibale.
Proud of you … God speed!!!
Congrats!!
Congratulations for what?? What did he do for his family? Did you visit his village? Is there any herb garden there?
Kongraculeisions Prof Chibale .It seems to me that its your type we need to run Zambia instead of our cholera and high debt misleaders who can’t even run a kantemba profitably.
There you go. He is a leader in his field and recognised as such. But as usual you want to trivialise his success to politics. If this was the case world over all the rest of the people recognised with Prof Chibale would be presidents of their countries. Congratulations Prof!
@3. You will be insulting him just after one year in office. Typical of you chaps. Let him do what he knows best.
Congratulations Prof CK. Please stay where you are and do not be distracted by those who are hinting you return to Zambia. We do not need you in politics nor does Zambia have the technological infrastructure to harness and exploit your intellectual ability. Zambia, Africa and the world at large will benefit more with you staying exactly where you are!!
Cuponda
But professor Chirwa came
Iwe Cuponda, muntu ayewa kwao mumulesa kubwela. You are very cruel.
Exactly…..Prof Chirwa came back to Zambia and what became of him? I don’t want the same fate to befall Kelly!
Congratulations Professor Chibale!! That is what Professors should be doing, you make Zambia proud. Your research will benefit God’s people across the world including Zambians whom you obviously love.
Word of advice: ignore those who will say that you are not Zambian, there are plenty of them in Zambia. Currently we even have one Royal LOWNESS and one preacher of hatred.
Congratulations Sir
Prof Chibale is most certainly an inspiring role model for Zambians .Congrats a million Prof.
This is good, it shows that with determination Zambians can reach the highest pillars of education and accomplish great things!
Well done Prof Chibale but please bring some of your innovation to Zambia and set up a research lab in your homeland as it would help with providing jobs to some of the molecular and related science program graduates from UNZA who often find their talents being under used or not even used whereby they end up working in unrelated professions such as banking some even in ZRA!
Its not true. This is pure fronting. They are white people behind not him. Remember the concept of fronting.
Pathetic ,DJ7 you’re a useless self hating black nobody.
DJ7: You live in South Africa. I challenge you to visit Cape Town University if you believe in testing your beliefs.
DJ7: Please google this name: Dr Abraham Badu-Tawiah. He is a Ghanaian based at Ohio State University in USA. He heads a research team there. Pay attention to the type of people he leads. I know that apartheid did a “good job” of brainwashing many blacks and whites alike in SA. If science had anything to do with being white, it would have started from the beginning of the white race, but did it? This is a very unproductive debate but what do we do if someone starts it? Should we leave them to spread their poison?
He is a robust researcher and scientist. I have just checked him on Google scholar…. but no mention that he is Zambian! Sad
Real Professor this one, not bishop Chomba
Now this is inspirational and real, not that fake doctorate with fake PHDs running a certain ministry. These are the people we should be looking up to in society and honor. Hard work pays in the end, Kudos to our very own, we are proud of your achievement as you have put Zambia on the world map of achievers. Not faking papers just to get a job in government and make weird pronouncements devoid of any real academia. Congratulations are indeed in order.
Congratulations Professor KC! A breadth of fresh air finally.
Something positive for once in Zambia. How can we get more of these achievements?
Some Zambians are negative self hating blacks who wrongly feel there’s a “white savior” behind every black man’s success.DJ7 if you doubt your self worth as a black you’re just reinforcing a “can’t achieve ” attitude- a self inflicted wound to your psyche.
Mushota shut up. What has your ficticious PhD done for Zambia? Congrats Prof.
I am very proud as a Zambian. Breath of fresh air
Mushuta what have done for Zambia urself? Aleast Pro has put the our flag on top the world map and Is our product.
He looks like a Technician?is he well kept in South Africa?
BOKO HARAM: Perish the thought. You do not even know what a labcoat looks like. We are discussing and celebrating a Zambian success story and you bring in flippancy. You are enured to low standards.
Congratulations Professor.
Congratulations Ba Chibale wesu
Proud of you, hopefully the likes of you will find the cure for AIDS
Congrats; wish you the best in your life; always;
Prominent Zambian in Cape Town for a long time by any measure! Well done Prof!!!
Congrats prof true son of Africa,breaking the notion that african are capable of nothing. You are genius.These are some of the brains that are making strides in the diaspora. I look forward to a time when all these world class zambia professional’s would return home help to develop our mother land.
Congratulations! A source of inspiration for all Africans .
Congratulation Professor Chibale. At least some great recognition.
Congrats Prof Chbale.
This is the type of Zambian one is proud of, NOT Schizophrenic deluded Ka Mushota, who adds no value to Zambia, apart from having a sewer for a brain.
Congratulations professor.for making it.if at all as a country we can have a thousand people like professor chibale in different fields,zambia can fully develop and it can actually be one of the richest countries in Africa.
Hats off to the Prof. Zambia is proud.
What impedes progress in academic work in our universities is the levels of funding for research and development.The government spends more on useless programmes such as political issues other than on research in these universities.this has left a cadre of professionals being either frustrated or leave to other countries where they get recognition.
Universities should be oasis of knowledge and discoveries.This can only happy in an environment where fund is a priority.University councils should be weaned and detached from the hand of politicians.Governments should let corporate governance play its role in these universities.We can only achieve the best in our university if the spirit of independence is cultivated.
UCT has very good Zambian Proffs, there another Proff Mainza in school of engineering and many more.
Congrats on this achievement! Going forward, how about our Zambian-born professor taking a closer look at the Sondashi Formula which has been looked down upon by physicians of note even when we hear it sure as hell can cure (or is it reduce to the barest minimum) symptoms of HIV?
This is great news and congratulations to our hard working countryman. Why can’t we have an institution of scientific research in Zambia that he can head?
Congrats Prof. Well deserved accolade but some people don’t understand that your research will benefit not only Zambia (that still battles with malaria) but the world at large. Those people who think you have not done anything for Zambia are being unfair. Doing something for Zambia does not mean one must live and work in Zambia. There are many projects in Zambia that are being sponsored by Zambians living abroad and contributing to job creation and better life for many people. This must be emulated. Keep leading Prof Chibale!
Lets celebrate this guy!!
No Tonga can ever achieve such apart from fencing off 1,600 hectares of illegally acquired land !
Congrate Kelly, you have done Mungwi Boys Great
Ba Cynthia: Yours is garbage which I have sworn to fight as long as my heart beats. DJ7 is in the same league as you. Kelly himself will be the first one to feel embarrassed by your type because he knows what sort of people have stood in front of him to teach science. Such views are of course respected in the PF.
Mushota hole what have you done for Zambia? You think you ca be rewarded just by being a stupid blogger? Leave the man alone.
Congrats. But we need you here in Zambia so that you help us in decisions that will make our country safe in terms of diseases like malaria and Hiv.The Bill Gates foundation is here in Zambia also.Why not come home and assist our healthy ministry with your knowledge.Come and see how we are suffering my brother.We will support you.You will create employment which we are struggling to create.Come on ba Chibale.What’s the use being no 1 on earth in that field when your own pipo are suffering.Yama come and do something
Welldone Prof
Congratulations professor. Keep up the good work. There is no need to come to Zambia unless they provide resources and facilities for you to continue your work. Otherwise they will bring you here and give you a ministerial job and tell you BE HAPPY DON”T RATTLE THE CAGE. Every Zambian doing exceptional work outside the country should stay where they are until proper priorities and facilities are provided. India and Chine did the same. Many Indians, South Koreans, and Chinese with high achieving attributes in the USA, UK, Germany, France have moved back home after their countries decided to invest in facilities to drive their economies using their diaspora skills. They don’t have to start from scratch.
Has Prof. Hansengule commented yet? Well-done Prof. Keep the banner raised!
My hearty congratulations to Professor Kelly Chibale! The biggest problem Zambia has is that there is no funding for research here to fund brilliant researchers like Professor Chibale. South Africa has the National Research Foundation which funds research and which, ironically, is run by another brilliant son of the soil, Andrew Musonda Kaniki. What our country needs is the development of research laboratories in our universities and massive funding of research activities. UNZA and CBU have brilliant minds who sadly have no access to research facilities or funds and are never even paid their gratuities! What we also don’t need is the proliferation of fake universities and the spreading epidemic of fake doctorates and professors who have never even set foot in a laboratory let alone a…
Congratulations to Professor Kelly Chibale. The biggest problem Zambia has is that there is no funding for research here to fund brilliant researchers like Professor Chibale. South Africa has the National Research Foundation which funds research and which, ironically, is run by another brilliant son of the soil, Andrew Musonda Kaniki.
What our country needs is the development of research laboratories in our universities and massive funding of research activities. UNZA and CBU have brilliant minds who sadly have no access to research facilities or funds and are never even paid their gratuities! What we also don’t need is the proliferation of fake universities and the spreading epidemic of fake doctorates and professors who have never even set foot in a laboratory let alone a village or township college!
Spaka lilo please? Your professors are known for non academic reasons, reasons that benefit no Zambia or anybody else, not even opposition politicians.
But I see that Prof Hansungule is decently quiet now, maybe he has managed to shed off the cadre and tribalist and hatred label painted on him by one h.h. If true that can only be good for Prof and Zambia?
Just how a leader in Zambia can proudly preach love for himself and hatred for others beats me!!
Jay Jay alplease advise me, I am confused!
Spaka lilo, those are votes gone for you guys!
And the Mongu cadres were reportedly ecstatic about the message of tribal hatred, please Spaka lilo clarify, has tge tribalism afflicted them too? Please tell us, we can ask Professor Chibale to quickly develop a vaccine and a drug to save our…
……And the Mongu cadres were reportedly ecstatic about the message of tribal hatred, please Spaka lilo clarify, has tge tribalism afflicted them too? Please tell us, we can ask Professor Chibale to quickly develop a vaccine and a drug to save our people in Mongu.
Well done professor many more blessings it is not easy to find yourself where you are especially coming from a humble family. Ukuilekelesha takwawama keep on believing on yourself and never forget your saviour thank him for that. Congrats
With God all things are possible.
The Might Christian Nation…Africans 2nd Resource Wealthy and Rich Nation…Worlds 13th Resource Rich Nation…..ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION……HOME OF THE AFRICANS ONLY WONDER-THE MIGHT VICTORIA FALLS……TWALIBA DANGER, DANGER….
MOTHER ZAMBIA…YOU HAVE A BLESSED WOMB…
PROF, YOU ARE A GREAT WONDER AND AND ALL-TIME INSPIRING TO ALL…MMmmmmmm!!!!!! SAME STAGE LIST NABENA BILL GATES-WORLDS RICHEST MAN, TIM COOKS-APPLE C.E.O, ALL TIMES GREAT TENNIS PLAYER SERENA WILLIAMS,AND THE LIKE.
KEEP THE SAME SPIRIT BLACK EINSTEIN, BLACK NEWTON, BLACK HAWKING, BLACK PROF. TEMBO, BLACK PROF CHIBALE……BIG LOVE….CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its not how you start, but how you end up that matters- Great Prof. Kelly Chibale-One of the Top 50 Planet earth Great Leaders-2018. CONGRATULATIONS ONCE MORE…HARDWORK REALLY PAYS….
To borrow from upndeez favourite language “All these achievements are happening under the watch of President Lungu’s leadership” ……….kekekekekekeke…..tiziba kuti chamunyonga h.h.
Can you see how the Chief Hooligan and Online Bully of the Tribal Party tactfully avoids saying anything positive on the story and on the man and goes to raise another issue? That is a Tonga mind of UPND and their allies in the tribal party of theirs!
From @#1.11, “I wonder what his view is on Cholera vaccines they are injecting his people with …!” SHAME Tribalist! You have failed to spit out your venomous hate here! Write something more that just asking a question!