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| Prof. Salome Maswime
Prof. Salome Maswime is the Interim CEO of Health Systems Trust, a Full Professor and the Head of the Global Surgery Division at UCT; and an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. She is a member of the Academy of Science South Africa. She is the vice-President of the Women in Global Health South Africa; and member of the FIGO Committee on Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction. After specialising she completed her MMED and PHD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She did a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She has received numerous awards for her research contribution, including the trailblazer and young achiever award by the President of South Africa in 2017, and the 20 Young Shapers of the Future in Health and Medicine by Encyclopedia Brittanica.
Ms Thulile ZondiMs Thulile Zondi has been the Chief Director for Health Information, Epidemiology, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (HIRME) at the National Department of Health (NDoH) for more 10 years. In this portfolio, she is responsible for measurement of health sector performance and ensuring its accountability to provide oversight to institutions. Her strategic projects at NDoH were the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS), the 2019 National Health Insurance Phase 1 Evaluation, and the development of the Digital Health Strategy 2019 development. She is currently establishing community and event-based surveillance electronic systems as part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response. Ms Zondi holds a Bachelor of Nursing (UCT) and a Master of Public Health (WITS). Prior to joining NDoH, she supported district health system development and Primary Health Care (PHC) quality improvement initiatives at NGOs, conducted evaluations at United Nations Population Fund and lectured post-graduate students on Monitoring and Evaluation at WITS School of Governance.
Ms Ashnie PadarathAshnie
Padarath is a public health specialist with over 20 years of mixed-methods
research, knowledge translation, and advocacy experience in the field of health
equity and health systems strengthening.
Ms Padarath also serves as the managing editor of the South African Health Review, a
peer-reviewed journal that focuses public health-related issues and policies
pertinent to health systems and healthcare delivery in South Africa.
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Ms Noluthando NdlovuNoluthando Ndlovu is a Programme Manager for Research and Implementation Science at the Health Systems Trust, where she leads strategic research and implementation science initiatives focused on strengthening South Africa's health systems. With over a decade of experience in public health, she has managed multi-disciplinary teams, contributed to national projects like the District Health Barometer, and supported global initiatives as a consultant for The World Bank. Noluthando holds an MSc in Environmental Science majoring in Spatial Epidemiology and has published work on health system performance, health equity, and data-driven policy. She is passionate about translating data into action to improve health outcomes and drive sustainable development.
Ms Ntombifuthi Blose Ntombifuthi Blose is a Data Scientist and Project Manager in the Research and Implementation Sciences (RIS) unit at Health Systems Trust (HST). She holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and is currently pursuing a PhD at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA). Ntombifuthi has experience in managing research projects focused on vulnerable populations and in generating evidence syntheses to inform national health priorities.
Dr Velile Ngidi
Dr
Velile Ngidi is a seasoned medical doctor with over 25 years of experience
spanning clinical practice, public health, and healthcare management across
South Africa and the UK. Holding an MBA and a Master's in Public Health from
the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a Fellowship in Public Health
Medicine, Dr Ngidi has led and supported health initiatives at facility, district,
and provincial levels. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she played a key role in
risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies for the
University of KwaZulu-Natal and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health,
contributing to vaccination rollout and pandemic response efforts. Building on
this, Dr Ngidi recently supported a youth-focused mobile health outreach
programme with an emphasis on social listening and misinformation response.
Dr Herkulaas Combrink
Dr Herkulaas M.V.E. Combrink is a Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures, University of the Free State. Dr Combrink specialises in infodemiology, computational infodemiology, human language technology, and artificial intelligence. Dr Combrink has contributed significantly in public health, molecular biology, education and data science. Dr Combrink's work integrates data science for social impact by combining data analytics, data science, artificial intelligence, health, education, and policy for better societal outcomes.
Mr Koketso Thema Koketso Thema is a Health Officer and the National Youth Secretariat at the South African Red Cross Society, where he manages health, WASH, and youth programmes. He holds a Bachelor's degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and is currently pursuing a Master's in the same field. His academic foundation is complemented by minors in Child & Youth Development and Political Science, as well as certifications in Public Health, Development Studies, and Project Management. From 2021 to 2023, he led the Red Cross's national COVID-19 response and has both national and international experience in disaster risk reduction, with a particular focus on Epidemic Preparedness and Response. A committed health, gender, and youth activist, Koketso advocates for stronger health crisis response systems through public health promotion, community-based surveillance, and youth empowerment in humanitarian settings. He also serves as the Secretariat and Ex-officio to the National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC), championing the protection of life and health and promoting ethical leadership among young people.
Mr William Bird
Mr William Bird is the director of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), a media watchdog. William has spent the last 29 years analysing media and working to protect and promote media freedom. He is frequently interviewed for his expert views and analyses on a range of media issues, and has developed and worked on several hundred media monitoring projects, looking at race, gender, xenophobia, and disinformation. In 2019, William worked with the IEC on a world first public complaints platform, Real411, to help combat online harms in the lead up to elections; it proved so successful it was used in 2021 and again in 2024. William is also an Ashoka fellow appointed for his work on children and media. He likes to monitor the media and track technology and policy developments.
Dr Peter Benjamin
Dr Peter Benjamin is the director of the non-profit HealthEnabled (www.healthenabled.org) based in Cape Town, which builds integrated digital health to improve health outcomes at scale in countries of the global South, with a particular focus on mHealth. Before that he worked for the mHealth Alliance. Until 2013 he was the managing director of Cell-Life, a non-profit leader in mHealth based in South Africa. He has 25 years' experience in the use of Information & Communications Technology (ICT) for social change and development. He has worked for Poptel in the UK, the SA National Civic Organisation, the Universal Service Agency, the Association of Progressive Communications and was the founder in 1997 of the LINK Centre for research and education into ICT policy at Wits University.
Janine Simon-Meyer Janine Simon-Meyer is Social and Behaviour Change Manager at UNICEF, South Africa, responsible for evidence-based SBC strategies and programme design across all sectors, in development and emergency contexts. She has represented UNICEF on the NDoH Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Technical Working Group since 2020, providing technical support and leadership for strategic planning, research, social listening, community feedback, community engagement and capacity building throughout the COVID pandemic and beyond. She is currently managing UNICEF's Pandemic Fund activities, applying a One Health approach to strengthen national systems and capacity for RCCE, social listening and community feedback. Janine has more than 25 years of experience in SBC, and holds an MSc Med by research and dissertation from the Wits School of Public Health in social and behaviour change communication.
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