Stephen Ogweno becomes the first African to win the World Obesity Federation’s Emerging Leaders in Health Award.
Long before I ever spoke on a global stage, I understood obesity from a deeply personal perspective.
Growing up in Kenya, I lived with childhood obesity, experienced weight stigma and developed obesity-related health complications while still young. Those experiences would eventually shape both my academic path and my career.
Rather than allowing those challenges to define me, I transformed them into a mission. I founded Stowelink Foundation, a youth-led organisation that has become one of East Africa’s leading voices on non-communicable diseases, obesity prevention, nutrition policy, health literacy and community health. Through the organisation, we have reached millions of people through health campaigns, digital education, advocacy programmes and community initiatives.
My work has consistently focused on one principle: public health policies only create lasting change when ordinary people understand them. That philosophy has guided everything from school-based health literacy programmes to national advocacy on food policy, obesity care and digital health innovation.
That journey came full circle in a room filled with many of the world’s foremost obesity researchers, clinicians, policymakers and public health leaders, at the International Congress on Obesity 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico.
The award recognises exceptional public health advocacy by young leaders under 35 years
On 16 July 2026, I became the recipient of the World Obesity Federation’s Emerging Leaders in Health Award, one of the congress’s four highest honours. The award recognises exceptional public health advocacy by young leaders under the age of 35 who are driving innovative solutions to address overweight and obesity around the world.
For Kenya, the recognition marked a historic milestone. I became the first African to receive the Emerging Leaders in Health Award since its establishment and one of the youngest recipients in the award’s history. It was a defining moment not only for my own journey, but also for the growing influence of African leadership in shaping the future of global obesity prevention, treatment and policy.
Just one day earlier, I received another distinction during the World Obesity Federation’s leadership events in Mexico City. I was presented with a Presidential Recognition by the President of the World Obesity Federation in acknowledgement of my contributions to advancing obesity care, patient advocacy and public health across Africa.
For many delegates attending the congress, the recognition reflected years of work that had steadily positioned me as one of the continent’s most influential young public health advocates.
The International Congress on Obesity is widely recognised as the world’s premier scientific meeting dedicated to obesity. Held every four years by the World Obesity Federation, it brings together thousands of researchers, clinicians, governments, advocates and people with lived experience from across the globe.
Unlike other awards, this honour celebrates leadership that creates measurable impact through advocacy, innovation and public engagement
Receiving the Emerging Leaders in Health Award places me among an elite group of international leaders whose work is helping redefine the future of obesity prevention and care. Unlike awards that recognise laboratory discoveries or clinical research alone, this honour celebrates leadership that creates measurable impact through advocacy, innovation and public engagement.
In my case, that impact has stretched from communities in Kenya to international policy platforms. I have contributed to obesity policy discussions through the World Obesity Federation, participated in World Health Organization initiatives, advocated for equitable access to obesity treatment, championed nutrition policy reforms, and consistently elevated the voices of people living with obesity in global conversations.
For decades, obesity across many African countries has remained misunderstood. Too often it has been dismissed as a matter of personal responsibility rather than recognised as a complex chronic disease influenced by biology, environments, health systems and public policy. Changing that narrative has become one of my defining contributions.
My advocacy has focused on reducing weight stigma, improving health literacy, supporting evidence-based obesity care and encouraging governments to adopt policies that make healthy choices easier for communities. My leadership has also extended to initiatives promoting healthier food environments, stronger nutrition policies and greater public understanding of obesity as a disease requiring comprehensive prevention and treatment.
The significance of this award extends beyond me as an individual. African representation in global obesity leadership has historically been limited despite the continent experiencing a rapid rise in overweight, obesity and other non-communicable diseases. By becoming the first African recipient of the Emerging Leaders in Health Award, I represent a changing landscape where African experts and advocates are increasingly helping shape international health policy rather than simply responding to it.
I am working to transform preventive healthcare using artificial intelligence and behavioural science
This recognition also highlights the growing importance of lived experience in global health leadership. Today, policymakers increasingly acknowledge that effective obesity policy requires not only scientific evidence but also leadership from people who understand the realities of living with the disease.
Beyond advocacy, I continue to invest in long-term solutions. Through Lifesten Health, the digital health company I founded, I am working to transform preventive healthcare using artificial intelligence and behavioural science. The platform aims to help people prevent and better manage chronic diseases by combining personalised health guidance, digital screening technologies and continuous behaviour change support.
Alongside this innovation, Stowelink Foundation continues to expand programmes focused on childhood health literacy, nutrition education, community mobilisation and youth leadership across Kenya and beyond. Together, these initiatives reflect a career built not around isolated campaigns, but around strengthening health systems and empowering communities.
Awards recognise achievement. Movements create change. For me, the recognition in Mexico represents both. It acknowledges years of work dedicated to improving obesity care while signalling the growing role that African leaders are playing in shaping global public health.
From a young Kenyan who once struggled with obesity to standing on one of the world’s biggest stages for obesity science and policy, my journey illustrates how lived experience, when combined with evidence, innovation and persistence, can influence conversations far beyond national borders.
As obesity continues to become one of the defining public health challenges of the twenty-first century, leaders capable of connecting science, policy and community engagement will become increasingly important.
