The World Health Organization African Region (WHO AFRO), in partnership with Ashesi University, has launched the seventh cohort of the Pathways to Leadership for Health Transformation in Africa (PLHTA) Program. Since its inception, the program has brought together senior health officials from Ghana and across Africa. The initiative equips participants not only with management skills but also with self-awareness and the capacity to drive meaningful institutional change.
The program helps participants develop a deeper understanding of themselves as leaders, including their strengths, blind spots, and ability to lead lasting change within their institutions.
Cohort Seven welcomed forty heads of health institutions from public service organisations, regulatory bodies, teaching hospitals, and faith-based health entities operating under the mandate of the Ministry of Health.
Before the in-person sessions, participants complete a StrengthsFinder Assessment, a Learning Needs Assessment, and a virtual orientation. They then convene for a five-day intensive workshop. During the program, participants explore interconnected areas including self-leadership, team leadership, systems thinking, emotional intelligence, appreciative leadership, and ethical practice. Each stage of the experience is designed to help participants develop a personal Leadership Transformation Plan.
Cohort Seven also introduces two major initiatives: an externally led Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) phase and the PLHTA Alumni Network. The M&E phase will assess the program’s impact across all six previous cohorts by documenting shifts in leadership competency, institutional outcomes, and participant experiences. The process will also produce a reusable evaluation framework for future leadership programs.
The PLHTA Alumni Network, launched on March 30, 2026, at Ashesi University, brought together past participants alongside senior representatives from the WHO AFRO, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and Ghana’s Ministry of Health for a day of keynote addresses, storytelling, and community building. The network reflects a growing recognition that the work of transforming health systems does not end when a cohort graduates. It continues in every meeting room, policy decision, and team that a PLHTA leader goes on to shape.
