Local Government Minister Ben Phiri to Speak at Global Health Communication Forum

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri is among key speakers at an international forum on global health communication leadership to be hosted by the USC Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

The event will bring together senior fellows working on health communication projects across Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa, providing a platform to share progress and experiences from the field.

The lawmaker Phiri, who is part of the fellowship, is expected to outline efforts being undertaken in Malawi to strengthen communication between local authorities and communities, particularly in the delivery of public health messages and services.

Phiri and three others are the inaugural cohort of Senior Fellows in global health communication leadership at the University of Southern California.

The forum will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in a hybrid format, with participants attending in person at the GW Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C., while others will join virtually.

Other presenters include a Kenyan researcher focusing on HIV and aging, a representative from the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, and a One Health lead from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The meeting is being co-hosted by several institutions, among them the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, the GW Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication, the Public Diplomacy Council of America, the Center for African Studies at Howard University, and the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand.

The session is scheduled to run from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time), with virtual attendance available via Zoom.