On Thursday, 30 October, the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa awarded an honorary PhD in Health Science, Technology and Management to father Dante Carraro, Director General of Doctors with Africa CUAMM.
A recognition “to father Dante’s lifelong dedication to international health cooperation and his tireless commitment to improving access to quality healthcare for the most vulnerable communities in Africa” stated the Sant’Anna School.
Among those attending the ceremony were Nicola Vitiello, Dean of the Sant’Anna School; Prof. Michele Emdin, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Health Science; Prof. Milena Vainieri, Coordinator of the PhD programme in Health Science, Technology and Management; and Prof. Alberto Mantovani, President of the Humanitas Research Foundation, together with hundreds of guests, including representatives from Doctors with Africa CUAMM.
The event was opened by Prof. Michele Emdin, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Health Science at the Sant’Anna School, who welcomed participants and highlighted the valuable collaboration between CUAMM and the School. This partnership, active for several years, has fostered numerous initiatives within the Africa Connect project — an initiative aimed at promoting the inclusive and sustainable development of the continent’s vast potential.
“Today we are granting this recognition because father Dante Carraro is the best example for our PhD students and our young people. We want great scientists — individuals who strive to push beyond the limits of knowledge — but we also want people who embody positive values and who truly wish to make a contribution toward improving the world.” Said Nicola Vitiello – Dean of Sant’Anna School.
The reasons for the award were later outlined by Prof.ssa Milena Vainieri – Coordinator of the PhD in Health Science, Technology and Management, who recalled CUAMM’s long-standing commitment to training and academic research, particularly in Mozambique, where — in collaboration with the University of Padua — we launched a Master’s programme in paediatric and neonatal emergencies for Mozambican doctors, paediatricians, nurses and midwives. She also highlighted CUAMM’s scientific contribution, with more than 200 research papers published on topics including maternal and child health, infectious and tropical diseases, nutrition, and universal health coverage.
The ceremony also included a laudatio by Prof. Alberto Mantovani, President of the Humanitas Research Foundation.
“By delivering this laudatio for Father Dante Carraro today, I am also celebrating Doctors with Africa CUAMM as a whole, and I wish to place the emphasis on that small yet powerful preposition ‘with.’ With means choosing to stand with the most vulnerable, choosing to remain even when it would be logical and reasonable to withdraw. With also means nurturing the minds and hearts of young Africans who represent the hope of the continent; it means doing research together; it means that an old professor goes and learns from what he sees — from young Africans, from their enthusiasm and intelligence, from their questions, and from the CUAMM workers. With also means that today we see many people stepping onto the stage alongside Father Dante to receive this honor — people who, in different roles, walk with him and with Doctors with Africa CUAMM, including the many young Italians and Africans who are his, and our, hope.”
Father Dante Carraro’s Lectio Magistralis, titled “Operational Research and Frugal Innovation: With Africa, for Everyone’s Future,” concluded the event. His lecture was a tribute to CUAMM’s 70-year commitment to promoting health equity and ensuring access to healthcare for all through research, fieldwork, and collaboration.
“This recognition is above all for the many African colleagues who, with very few resources, but with great tenacity and resilience, continue to do their part for their communities. It is they who, despite wars and conflicts, despite cuts and abandonment by the great powers, resist with courage and without fear, cultivating confidence in the future. It is alongside them, “with Africa”, that we at CUAMM walk and strive to find solutions and answers, with professionalism and competence, because we are deeply convinced that medicine for the poor should not be poor medicine,” claimed father Dante Carraro.
This honour not only celebrates our Director General but also stands as a profound recognition of the dedication of every member of our organisation — from headquarters to field offices, together with our partners and collaborators who share our vision, mission, and values, and who work tirelessly every day with Africa, not for Africa.
