President:
Dr. Lwando Maki
Dr. Lwando Maki has a Bachelor's in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Cape Town. After completion of his internship and community service he conducted specialist medical training in Public Health Medicine/Preventative Medicine at the College of Medicine of South Africa and a Master of Medicine at the University of Pretoria. He then went on to enter his second specialist medical training in Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine of South Africa and his second Master of Medicine at the University of Cape Town.
Dr Maki has a particular interest in Global Health, Climate Change and Non-communicable Diseases with a focus on Cardiovascular Disease. Dr Maki has fourteen years of leadership and advocacy experience and has, amongst others, served on the Editorial Board of the Elsevier Climate and Health Journal, Chair of the Climate Health Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Past Chair of the Environmental Health Working Group of the World Medical Association, Climate lead of the African Coalition of Medical Associations, Secretary - Climate of the Africa Epidemiological Association, current President Public Health Association of South Africa, Secretary of the African Epidemiological Association, member of the South African National Climate Change Steering Committee-Department of Environmental Affairs, Member of the Climate Change Committee-Congress of South African Trade Unions and Climate Lead for the South African Medical Association.
Secretary:
Dr Sean Patrick
Dr Sean Patrick is a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria's School of Health Systems and Public Health and works as a scientist in the Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit. Additionally, He holds the position of vice-chairperson of the Associations of Schools of Public Health in Africa and Global Network for Academic Public Health subgroup member and is also a member of the management committee of the University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control (UP ISMC).
Specializing in researching Endocrine Disruptors and their impact on health. His work delves into the intricate environmental and social issues, particularly focusing on Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 6, that influence prevailing and emerging diseases. Over the years, he has secured grants worth R30 million as principal and co-principal investigator since 2019. Alongside this, he is actively involved in supervising Masters and Doctoral students.
His research, which aims to understand the multifaceted issues related to environmental and public health, has garnered recognition and has been published in high-impact journals, including Nature. Furthermore, he has play a pivotal role in coordinating the Master of Public Health Programme and contributes significantly to curriculum development aimed at training the next generation of public health professionals.
Treasurer:
Mr Tiaan Eksteen
Mr Eksteen is part of the Executive Board (Treasurer) of the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) and his vision is to use his financial and public health expertise to enhance financial governance and functioning within PHASA, and to support PHASA to strengthen public health in South Africa and collaborate globally (especially in Africa). Mr Eksteen was also part (course coordinator) of the Health Emergencies in Large Population Course which is a training course for the management of health interventions in armed conflicts. The course was presented jointly with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
As an experienced financial and resource mobilisation manager, working at the School of Health Systems and Public, Faculty of Health Science, University of Pretoria, Mr Eksteen works closely with national and international funders, bringing together academic programmes and research projects addressing key issues in Public Health. Mr Eksteen possess the necessary experience and qualifications BEd (UP) BEd Hons (UP) BCom Hons (UNISA) MPH (UP).
Mr Eksteen has a strong interest in mental health, health policy and management, corporate governance and overall health systems strengthening.
Member:
Dr Robin Dyers
Dr Robin Dyers is a public health medicine specialist in the Western Cape Government: Health and Wellness department. He qualified as a medical doctor at Stellenbosch University in 2006, and has since continued with post-graduate studies in Epidemiology and Community Health. He is also a senior lecturer in the Division of Health Systems and Public Health at Stellenbosch University.
While supporting the development of electronic medical record systems for the province, Robin completed a PhD in Public Health by applying Design Science Research methods to the emerging practice of User Experience Design in Data Visualisation. His other interests include health policy analysis, geographic information systems, blockchain cryptography for health, clinical terminological systems, diagnosis related groups, interventions to support continuity of care, and health professions education
Member:
Dr Amilcar Juggernath
Dr Amilcar Juggernath is a Public Health Medicine Specialist performing independent consulting work. He has a keen interest in improving population health through health systems strengthening, addressing the determinants of health, and policy reform. He obtained MBBCh and MMed (Community Health) qualifications from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a Fellow of the College of Public Health Medicine of South Africa, and holds a Diploma in HIV Management.
Amilcar has clinical work experience in urban and rural settings, and public health experience across the different levels of the health system, health care facilities, and national health institutes. His recent professional experience has included managing health programmes and health systems reform from a national level. He is currently appointed as an extraordinary lecturer within the Department of Public Health Medicine at the University of Pretoria, and has public health research experience in. Amilcar aims to contribute to improving and expanding the work of PHASA.
Member:
Dr Itumeleng Ntatamala
Dr Itumeleng Ntatamala is an Occupational Medicine Specialist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town. He obtained his MBChB and M.Med in Occupational Medicine qualifications at UCT as well as an M.Sc in Occupational Health at the University of Birmingham in the UK. He is a fellow of the College of Public Health Medicine (Occupational Medicine Division) and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in HIV Management from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
He convenes the UCT School of Public Health’s Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health and is responsible for teaching and conducting research in occupational medicine at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is registered for a Ph.D in Public Health for which he was awarded the 2023 Harry Crossley Clinical Research Fellowship Prize and the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences Start-Up Emerging Researcher Award for his research on COVID-19 in non-health sector small and medium-sized enterprises and pandemic preparedness.
Dr Ntatamala is the current Chairperson of the South African Society of Occupational Medicine (SASOM) Western Cape Chapter and Deputy Chairperson of the recently formed PHASA Occupational and Environmental Health Special Interest Group (SIG). He is the recipient of the 2023 PHASA Emerging Practitioner PHILA Award, and SASOM Medal for being the best-performing candidate in the CMSA 2021 Occupational Medicine Examination. He received the Western Cape Government 2020 Service Excellence Awards Silver Prize in the ‘Inspirational Support Employee’ category for his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic in protecting health workers and was selected as a top 200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans in 2019.
As a medical intern in Limpopo Province, his efforts in leading the creation of a mother and child-friendly ward at Mokopane Regional Hospital were recognised by receiving the 2015 Limpopo Premier’s Service Excellence Awards (Innovation in Public Service Silver Prize).
Member:
Ms Antoinette Stafford Cloete
Antoinette Stafford Cloete is a life-long knowledge worker with a background in academic literacy development and has published on the role of writer agency. She spent some time at Columbia University’s Teachers’ College as a visiting scholar on language policy and planning and following this spent over a decade heading up the content management portfolio for the SA government’s youth development agency.
She currently heads up the Communications unit at the Health Systems Trust, a Health NGO that is a district support partner to the National Department of Health in the areas of HIV/AIDS, STis and TB. Her special interest is in running effective awareness-creation campaigns focused on TB preventive therapy utilizing elements of behaviour change communication.
Member:
Prof Takalani Tshitangano
Prof Takalani Grace Tshitangano is a Professor of Public Health and Health Promotion with special interest in infection control as a determinant of communicable diseases. Prof Tshitangano joined the University of Venda as an academic more than ten years ago, teaching health promotion. She served as an HOD of Public Health at the University of Venda for a period of five years, and HOD of Mpumalanga college of Nursing for a period of three years.
Tshitangano has published more than sixty articles in international and national peer-reviewed journals in the areas of health promotion and infection control. She received numerous Vice Chancellor Excellence awards both in teaching and Research. She is currently serving as a member of the Limpopo Provincial and National Health Research Committees. She holds PhD and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Venda, additional to a Master of Business Administration degree from MANCOSA.
Takalani Tshitangano is registered with the South African Nursing Council as a Nurse (general, Community, Psychiatric) and midwifery science, with more than twenty-three years of public hospitals nursing and management experience.
Ex officio member
Dr Harsha Somaroo
Harsha Somaroo is a Public Health Medicine Specialist, committed to protecting and improving health, healthcare, and health equity; and the immediate past president of PHASA (2021-2023). She led the team that won the bid to co-host the 2026 World Congress on Public Health and is the PHASA chairperson for the Congress Management Committee.
She has been involved with various aspects of clinical care and public health systems’ management; and believes that improvements both within and outside the health system are essential to improve the quality of healthcare and health equity. Within the healthcare sector, she aims to influence changes related to enhancing clinical and corporate governance, and overall health systems strengthening. Outside the health care system, she wants to work to promote actions to address the social determinants of health and to foster heightened social conscientisation among all South Africans.
She views PHASA as a multi-disciplinary organisation of individuals who are all ultimately advocating for greater health equity in South Africa. She is keen to support the association amplify its collective voice in order to advocate for improved healthcare and health equity, to improve networking between like-minded organisations, to enhance knowledge sharing on significant issues, and to capacitate the diverse membership to harness individual strengths and further develop areas of public health interest.
Ex officio Member:
Dr Natisha Dukhi
Dr Natisha Dukhi is a Senior Research Specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa. She graduated in 2005 with a Master’s in Medical Science (cum laude) - University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has worked over a decade as a Medical Scientist, lecturing in Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology and Nutrition at various universities in SA. In 2016, she graduated with a Ph.D (Public Health) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Natisha is an eclectic behavioural scientist, involved in interdisciplinary inclusive research. Her niche areas of expertise include Nutrition, Adolescent and Child Health, health promotion and non-communicable diseases, with a special interest in mHealth, Artificial Intelligence, and gender-based violence. She serves as a PI, co-PI and Project Director on various interdisciplinary surveys.
Her scientific experience and collaborations have led to various interdisciplinary research outputs. She is a reviewer for various national and international journals. Her affiliations include exco for South African Young Academy of Science, African Academy of Sciences (AAS) Affiliate, Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) and OWSD SA National Chapter, Fellow and President of African ChangeMakers South Africa, Fellow of the Southern Africa and Africa Science Leadership Programmes, among others. In 2018, she was a BRICS Young Scientist participant, and a recipient of the Gro Brundtland Award for outstanding work in the field of Public Health and Sustainable Development. Her research contributions have afforded her a NRF Y2 rating as of 2023. As of 2024 she was selected as a member of the Global Young Academy (GYA).