Precious Lunga

Last updated

Dr Precious Lunga
Born (1974-10-04) 4 October 1974 (age 48)
Bulawayo, Rhodesia
Alma mater University of Edinburgh
University of Cambridge
Occupation(s)Epidemiologist, business executive, entrepreneur
OrganizationBaobab Circle [1]
Spouse
​
(m. 2010)​
Children1

Dr Precious Lunga [2] (born 4 October 1974) [3] is a Zimbabwean epidemiologist, entrepreneur, and CEO/co-Founder of Baobab Circle. Between 2017 and 2018, she created Afya Pap, a mobile app offering personalized health education and coaching on chronic diseases. [4] [5] The app is used across seven countries in Africa, including Kenya and Uganda. [6] [4] [7]

Contents

As Head of Health at Econet Wireless in 2015, Lunga launched a 24/7 dial-a-doctor service in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe to reach over 750,000 paying patients within a year of launch. [8] [9]

Lunga is a Yale World Fellow and was featured as a speaker at the Southbank Centre's Women of the World Festival in London. [10] [11]

Early life

Precious Lunga was born in Bulawayo in what was then Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe), and grew up there until the age of 17, when she went to Britain to study. [3] She attended the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1998 with a degree in neuroscience. She then earned a PhD in neuroscience in 2003 from the University of Cambridge, where she was also captain of the women's karate team. [12]

Career

After her neuroscience doctorate, Lunga began research and development in novel therapies for repairing central nervous system damage in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline for the Brain Repair Centre at the University of Cambridge. She went on to become a founding member for EUROPRISE, a consortium of HIV vaccine and microbicide researchers working in industry and public institutions. She has worked with UNAIDS Geneva, and participated in anti-HIV microbicide trials led by the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), where she now sits on the Board. [13] She joined Econet in 2013 to establish their health business unit before leaving in 2016 to start Baobab Circle, developing Afya Pap, an award-winning platform that delivers localised and personalised health advice to users via mobile phones. The app was featured in a BBC Business interview, [14] and in 2018 won the AppsAfrica award. [15]

Appearances

Lunga has appeared at the Financial Times Africa Summit, [16] hosted a TEDx talk in 2015 [17] and was invited as a guest for the BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives . [18] She has panelled the Woman of the World Festival and was a speaker on the Forum radio programme for the BBC. [19] She appeared as a speaker at the 5th annual Davenport Cook Lecture at Yale University, where she is a World Fellow, [10] and has been interviewed by the New Statesman . [3] In 2019, she was listed in New African 's 100 most influential Africans. [20]

Personal life

In 2010, Lunga married Jon Snow, the journalist and former Channel 4 news anchor. [21] They had a son together through surrogacy, in March 2021. [22]

Related Research Articles

Communications in Zimbabwe refers to the communication services available in Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Snow (journalist)</span> English journalist and television presenter

Jonathan George Snow HonFRIBA is an English journalist and television presenter. He is best known as the longest-running presenter of Channel 4 News, which he presented from 1989 to 2021. On 29 April 2021, Snow announced his retirement from the role; his final programme aired on 23 December 2021. Although Channel 4's news programming is produced by ITN, Snow was employed directly by the broadcaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</span> Nigerian writer (born 1977)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described in The Times Literary Supplement as "the most prominent" of a "procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors" of Nigerian fiction who are attracting a wider audience, particularly in her second home, the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graça Machel</span> Mozambican humanitarian activist and politician

Graça Machel is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the widow of former President of Mozambique Samora Machel (1975–1986) and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela (1998–2013). Machel is an international advocate for women's and children's rights and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strive Masiyiwa</span> Zimbabwean businessman

Strive Masiyiwa is a London-based Zimbabwean billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of international technology groups Econet Global and Cassava Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugali</span> Type of maize meal made in Africa

Ugali, also known as posho, sima, and other names, is a type of corn meal made from maize or corn flour in several countries in Africa. It is cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a stiff or firm dough-like consistency. In 2017, the dish was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, one of a few foods in the list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nandita Das</span> Indian actress and director

Nandita Das is an Indian actress and film maker. She has acted in over 40 feature films in ten different languages. Das appeared in the films Fire (1996), Earth (1998), Bawandar (2000), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Azhagi (2002),Kamli (2006), and Before The Rains (2007). Her directorial debut Firaaq (2008), premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and travelled to more than 50 festivals, winning more than 20 awards. Her second film as a director was Manto (2018). Based on the life of 20th Century Indo-Pakistani short story writer Sadat Hasan Manto, the film was screened at Cannes Film Festival in the "Un Certain Regard" section. In September 2019, Das produced a two-minute Public Service Announcement music video India's Got Colour. The music video is about the issue of colourism and urges the audience to celebrate India's diversity of skin colour. Her first book, 'Manto & I', chronicles her 6-year long journey of making the film. She wrote, directed, produced and acted in a short film called, Listen to Her, that sheds light on the increase in domestic violence and overburden of work that women have been facing during the lockdown. Also sought petition seeking the commutation of the death sentence handed out to Ajmal Kasab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Berlin</span> American neuroscientist

Heather A. Berlin is an American neuroscientist and licensed clinical psychologist noted for her work in science communication and science outreach. Her research focuses on brain-behavior relationships affecting the prevention and treatment of impulsive and compulsive psychiatric disorders. She is also interested in the neural basis of consciousness, dynamic unconscious processes, and creativity. Berlin is host of the PBS Nova series Your Brain, the PBS series Science Goes to the Movies, the Discovery Channel series Superhuman Showdown, and StarTalk All-Stars with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Goldman-Rakic</span> American neuroscientist

Patricia Goldman-Rakic was an American professor of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry and psychology at Yale University School of Medicine. She pioneered multidisciplinary research of the prefrontal cortex and working memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Tejan-Cole</span>

Abdul Tejan-Cole is a Sierra Leonean Oku legal practitioner and former Commissioner of Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission. He was awarded the 2001 Human Rights Watch award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatrice Mtetwa</span>

Beatrice Mtetwa is a Swazi was born 1957 and naturalised Zimbabwean lawyer who has been internationally recognized for her defense of journalists and press freedom. The New York Times described her in 2008 as "Zimbabwe's top human rights lawyer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarraisha Abdool Karim</span>

Quarraisha Abdool Karim is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and co-founder and Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA. She is a Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York and Pro-Vice Chancellor for African Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Higherlife Foundation is a philanthropic organisation founded in 1996 by Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa. Since inception, foundation has been supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa through education and material support. Education support has been provided through the Capernaum Scholarship for orphaned and vulnerable children and the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship for highly gifted children. Other than Education support, the foundation also supports beneficiaries with Guardianship and Pastoral Care. In the communities it serves, the foundation partners with healthcare and crisis response institutions.

Orzala Ashraf Nemat is an Afghan scholar and civil society activist. She established the Women and Youth Leadership Centre in 2012. Orzala got her Phd from School of SOAS, University of London in Law and Political Science. During Afghanistan's Taliban Government she put herself many times directly at risk and launched underground literacy and health education programs for women and girls. Orzala published several articles in greater news sources, like the BBC and the Guardian.

Natalie Payida Jabangwe, is a Zimbabwean computer engineer and businesswoman, who serves as the Group Digital Executive Officer at Sanlam, based in Cape Town, South Africa. In this role, she oversees digital functions in over 34 African markets, India and Malaysia.

Gita Ramjee was a Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher in HIV prevention. In 2018, she was awarded the ‘Outstanding Female Scientist’ award from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. She died in Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa, from COVID-19 related complications.

Jeanne M. Marrazzo is an American physician-scientist and infectious diseases specialist. She is the director of the University of Alabama School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases and focuses on prevention of HIV infection using biomedical interventions. Marrazzo is also a fellow of the American College of Physicians and Infectious Disease Society of America. On August 2, 2023 Lawrence A. Tabak, acting director for the National Institutes of Health, named Jeanne M. Marrazzo as director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Michelina Chindiya, popularly known as Miss Chindiya, is a Zimbabwean fitness influencer and lifestyle content creator. She was listed in Zimbabwe’s 50 under 30 Emerging Leaders Class of 2021 and 50 Young Pace Setters of Zimbabwe in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tlaleng Mofokeng</span> South African physician

Tlaleng Mofokeng is a South African physician who is the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. She campaigns for universal health access and HIV care. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2021.

Arséma Angela Adeoluwayemi Hamera Thomas is an American actress. She plays young Lady Agatha Danbury in the Netflix period drama series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023).

References

  1. ↑ "Baobab Circle". Baobab Circle. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Fireside chat with Dr Annalisa Jenkins, Dr Precious Lunga and Professor Peter Piot". LSHTM. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Lewis, Helen (9 June 2011). "Precious Lunga, Epidemiologist". New Statesman. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 "'AfyaPap' app introduced to help manage diabetes". BiztechAfrica. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Baobab Circle". afyapap.com. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Baobab Circle". www.baobabcircle.com. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "AFYA Mobile App to help Ugandans manage diabetes". New Vision. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Econet's dial-a-doctor service goes live in Zimbabwe". IT Web. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Precious Lunga | Yale Greenberg World Fellows". worldfellows.yale.edu. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Precious Lunga | Yale World Fellows Program". worldfellows.yale.edu. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "WATCH: Women Of The World Festival In London Celebrates Achievement, Potential Of Women". HuffPost. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Dr. Precious Lunga". The Africa Debate. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "New Appointments to the MRC's Council". Medical Research Council UKRI. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "An App for Managing Chronic Health Conditions". BBC News. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "Awards Winners 2018 Announced". AppsAfrica.com. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Pilling, David (18 May 2020). "AI in Africa Healthcare Falls Short of Potential". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "If you can't get a hospital - get a phone | Precious Lunga | TEDxEastEnd". 23 February 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2020– via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Scientist Precious Lunga Chooses Wangari Maathai". Great Lives . BBC Radio 4. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "The Forum". BBC World Service. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  20. ↑ Versi, Anver (2020). "100 Most Influential Africans". New African Magazine. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  21. ↑ Langley, William (26 June 2010). "Jon Snow: married in Mustique". The Telegraph . Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  22. ↑ Southern, Keiran (8 March 2021). "News presenter Jon Snow, 73, announces baby news". Yahoo news. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.