Professor Emeritus Japhet Killewo is one of the visionaries behind the establishment of the Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH). As a founding member, his dedication and expertise laid the foundation for our legacy of impactful public health research and programs. Over the years, Professor Killewo’s influence extended beyond the organization’s foundation, serving as a board member and a key collaborator in many of AAPH’s groundbreaking research and capacity building projects.
Professor Killewo has demonstrated hands-on contributions to AAPH's initiatives through his leadership at the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study (DUCS). Between 2019 and 2020, AAPH collaborated with Professor Killewo on several transformative projects, including the Diet, Environment, and Choices of Positive Living (DECIDE) Study, an evaluation of the personal and external food environment influences on diets among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their families in Ukonga and Gongo la Mboto, Dar es Salaam. Leveraging DUCS’ surveillance system, this initiative provided critical insights into food security and health behaviors.
Currently through the ARISE-NUTRINT Project—focused on reducing nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among adolescents and youth in Africa—AAPH partnered with DUCS to facilitate community engagement and support data collection at the grassroots level, with Prof. Killewo as the site Principal Investigator. By enhancing adolescent health surveillance, the project successfully co-designed interventions and policies aimed at improving nutrition fluency and diet quality. DUCS plays a critical role in this initiative, providing robust data and a comprehensive framework to develop and evaluate impactful, community-centered solutions.
Prior to this, Prof. Killewo has contributed to the AAPH digital innovations in investigating COVID-19 impact among adolescents, adults, and healthcare providers, development and testing of digital interventions and surveillance systems through SMS, in addition to school-based implementation science and co-design undertakings to enhance school health and food environments.
Indeed Prof. Killewo’s unwavering dedication has not only shaped the course of public health in Tanzania but also influenced the broader pan-African health landscape through the Africa Research Implementation Science and Education (ARISE) Network. His work underscores the power of collaboration and the enduring impact of innovative health research.
The Africa Academy for Public Health extends our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Emeritus Japhet Killewo for receiving the One Health Lifetime Achievement Award. Working alongside him in our shared mission to improve public health outcomes has been a privilege. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide the next generation of public health practitioners and researchers For Better Public Health.