By Bunmi Yekini
Ugandan scientist and malaria advocate Krystal Birungi has been selected to join the prestigious Obama Foundation’s Leaders Africa program, part of the 2025–2026 class of more than 200 global changemakers.
Birungi, who works at the Uganda Virus Research Institute and serves as Research and Outreach Associate at Target Malaria, will be one of just 35 leaders chosen from across the continent for the Africa-focused cohort. The six-month program provides intensive training in leadership development and civic engagement to help participants scale their impact across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
“I am incredibly honoured and humbled to be selected for this program,” Birungi said. “This is a transformative opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with a global network of changemakers. I look forward to gaining new skills and perspectives that will be key in the acceleration of my fight towards the achievement of malaria elimination and public health equity in Uganda and Africa as a whole.”
An entomologist by training, Birungi has built a reputation as a strong voice in global health advocacy. She has worked to raise awareness of the devastating toll malaria continues to take on women and children in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2021, she was nominated to the Global Fund Advocates Network’s speakers’ bureau and has since participated in advocacy missions in donor countries, pushing for greater investment in malaria prevention, treatment, and research.
The Leaders Africa program, launched in 2018 as the Obama Foundation’s first regional initiative, brings together emerging leaders tackling challenges from climate change to public health and equity. Participants convene weekly for virtual sessions and also engage with mentors, thought leaders, and members of the Obama Foundation’s global network.
Drawing on his Kenyan heritage, former U.S. President Barack Obama has made nurturing young African leaders a cornerstone of his post-presidency work. The program now spans Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States, creating a network of leaders committed to driving change in their communities and beyond.