Professor Johannes John-Langba of the School of Applied Human Science in the College of Humanities, who is the Africa Regional Vice-President of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), has been recognised as one the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) for his outstanding contribution to society in the health and medical care sector.

Listed in the MIPAD Global Top 100 class of 2023, John-Langba says the global recognition motivates him to continue working in mental health research and to advocate for greater investment in mental health in Africa.

‘It’s humbling to be included among the Global Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent, and surreal that my contribution is recognised in the health and medical care category with other notable Africans such as the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, the former Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director, and the South African Minster of Health.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor in the College of Humanities Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize applauded John-Langba for his efforts to help make the world a better place through his work. ‘This is great news for UKZN and Prof Langba. I congratulate him and encourage everyone to continue working toward the same goal and influence the coming generation of leaders,’ added Mkhize.

The recipient of several other international awards and fellowships, John-Langba is an established academic in the social and behavioural sciences and serves on the editorial boards of reputable national and international academic journals. He currently also serves as the Vice-President and Mental Health Ambassador of Cape Mental Health (CMH), Co-Chairs the Data Ethics Working Group of the International Science Council’s Committee on Data (CODATA) and is a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Substance Abuse Forum.

The Most Influential 100 Recognition Weekend 2023 (RW 2023) will be held following the opening of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City from 28 September to 2 October this year.

•    Click here to see the 2023 MIPAD – Most Influential People of African Descent.