Prof. W.D. Francois Venter

MD, FCP, PhD is the Head of Ezintsha at Wits.

He leads multiple antiretroviral treatment optimisation studies and is currently working on new access programmes through private pharmacies within South Africa. For over 20 years he has been an advisor to bodies such as the South African government, UNAIDS, and WHO, contributing to international, regional, and national HIV guidelines.

A a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for COVID-19, He supervises a large number of Masters and PhD projects. Recent work has included publications in Lancet HIV, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, AIDS, and PLOS Medicine.

Prof. Bob Mash

Prof Bob Mash is Head of the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care at Stellenbosch University. He is chair of the National Education and Training Committee for the Academy, and of their CPD Accreditation Committee.

He is currently the lead applicant in an EU-funded national project to strengthen primary health care through primary care doctors and family physicians, in which the Academy is a partner. He is co-editor of the South African Family Practice Manual and the editor of the Handbook of Family Medicine, which are both collaborative projects of the Academy.  He is the Editor-in-chief of the African Primary Health Care and Family Medicine Journal and is a member of the WONCA global working party on Primary Care Research – the Academy is the official member of WONCA in South Africa. He is currently editing a book for WONCA on International Perspectives on Primary Care Research.

Dr Amy Booth

MBChB, DPhil Candidate, youngest member-HHS, Partner Member at Rhodes Incubator, part of GTC, selected SDG Impact Lab Fellow and part of UK Young Academy member – United Kingdom.

A trained medical doctor, having graduated summa cum laude and gold medalist, with registration to practice in the United Kingdom and South Africa. I am a Rhodes Scholar, currently completing a DPhil at the University of Oxford exploring the impact of health systems, particularly the pharmaceutical supply chain, on climate change. I have experience in research and previously worked with the World Health Organisation.  My interests lie in climate change, environmental sustainability, public health and health activism, consulting, innovation and research.

Prof. Priya Soma-Pillay

Professor and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chair of the School of Medicine at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Priya is a maternal and fetal medicine sub-specialist and completed her PhD in 2018.

She has a special interest in managing high-risk pregnancies, particularly with cardiac and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Her research interests include preventing preterm birth.  She is a member of the global NIHR-funded PRIME research study group. Priya served as a member of the South African National Committee for the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death from 2011-2020 and was the chapter head for “Deaths due to medical disease in pregnancy.” She is the president of the College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of South Africa, a member of senate of the College of Medicine of South Africa, immediate past honorary secretary of the South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SASOG) and member of the
International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Council. She serves on the FIGO Preterm Birth Committee.

Dr Sagie Naidoo

Qualification: BSc with majors in Microbiology and Physiology at UDW [1978], MBChB  [1983] , Post-graduate Diploma in Forensic Medicine [1987], and Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Public Health and Health Services Management from the University of the Witwatersrand, Foundation Member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 2007 and in 1993, was awarded a British Council Scholarship to study Forensic Medicine in the United Kingdom.

Is a Clinical Forensic Medical Examiner currently employed as the Deputy Director for Clinical Forensic Medical Services in KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.  Together with the National Prosecuting Authority he has been instrumental in establishing Thuthuzela Care Centres (“Comfort Centres”) in most districts in KwaZulu-Natal.  He represents the medical professions on the South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.  Dr Naidoo has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Durban-Westville, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from the University of Natal, the Diploma of Forensic Medicine from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa and Diplomas in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Public Health and Health Services Management from the University of Witwatersrand.  He was awarded a British Council scholarship to study Forensic Medicine at the Royal London Hospital Medical College.  He is a Foundation Member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London. He is a trainer with extensive clinical experience for close onto forty years.  He is engaged in the practical training of medical graduates, legal professionals and nurses and allied professionals.  Dr Naidoo is an honorary lecturer in the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at UKZN.

Prof. Shabir Moosa 

MMed, MBA, PhD. Head of Clinical Unit: Family Medicine, Johannesburg Health District, Associate Professor, University of Witwatersrand South Africa, Past-Executive Coordinator of African Forum for PHC (AfroPHC) Member at Large, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) 

Prof Shabir Moosa is a family physician with an MBA and PhD. He supervises all doctors in public service clinics of Johannesburg and is a professor at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has extensive experience in rural general practice and the development of family medicine and primary care services in both rural and urban district health services in South Africa and Africa. Shabir is involved in development and research around family medicine, community-oriented primary health care (COPC) and health management for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Africa. He is Member at Large in the Executive Committee of WONCA (World Organisation of Family Doctors), and past Executive Coordinator of AfroPHC, the African Forum for Primary Health Care (PHC), bringing African PHC team leaders together to advocate for PHC and UHC.

Prof. Haroon Saloojee

MBBCh, FCPaed (SA) MSc (Med)Child Health, Subspecialist in Community Paediatrics (HPCSA) Personal Professor and Head: Division of Community Paediatrics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South African and a neonatologist at the Christ Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto.

Prof Haroon Saloojee serves on two South African ministerial committees – one on immunisation and another on child mortality and morbidity.  He offers technical support to various World Health Organization maternal and child health committees. Served on various boards, Starfish Greathearts Foundation, Soul City Institute [Chairman], National Health Laboratory Service, Boston Consultancy Group Foundation and Medicins Sans Frontier South Africa.  Treasurer SA Child Health Priorities Association, Senator at Colleges of Medicine of SA and Executive member, South Africa Paediatric Association and Chairperson in 2016-2018.

Mark Heywood

Is a social justice activist and former Executive Director and co-founder of SECTION27 as well s a co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). He sits on the Boards of several health and human rights NGO’S in South African and internationally.  

In 2022 he was recipient of the Lifetime Achievements Award of the Public Health Association of SA (PHASA).  he is currently editor of Maverick Citizen, a section of the Daily Maverick that focuses on activism, human rights, and social justice.  He is also adjunct professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, a distinguished visitor at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and a visiting scholar at the Bonavero Institute for Human Rights, Oxford University.  He has written numerous articles on law, human rights, HIV/AIDS, health and literature and edited and written several books, including a book of poetry I Write What I Flight (2015) and a memoir, Get Up! Stand UP! Personal Journeys Towards Social Justice (2017).