Matlagolo Mosa Moshabela is a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n medical doctor, academic, and researcher specializing in

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

and primary health care. He is recognized for his contributions to health systems research, particularly in the areas of

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

and

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. He has held key academic administrative roles and began his appointment as

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...

on 1 August 2024.

Early life and education

Mosa Moshabela was born and raised in South Africa. He pursued his

medical degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...

at the

University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN; , ) is a public research university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University ...

, where he developed a strong interest in public health and primary care. Following his undergraduate studies, Moshabela completed a training in

Family Medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is ...

from MEDUNSA and subsequently earned a PhD in Public Health from the

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), commonly known as Wits University or Wits, is a multi-campus Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. The universit ...

. He obtained a master's degree in Demography and Health from the

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public university, public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a constituent college, member institution of the University of London that specialises in public hea ...

Career

Academic positions

Moshabela has held various academic positions throughout his career. This includes being Dean of the School of Nursing and Public Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and subsequently Deputy Vice-Chancellor for research and Innovation. His academic work is characterized by a commitment to improving health care delivery and addressing the social determinants of health, particularly in

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

Research and contributions

Mosa Moshabela's research spans several critical areas in public health, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and health care delivery in resource-limited settings. He has led and participated in numerous research projects aimed at enhancing the understanding and management of these diseases. His work often involves interdisciplinary approaches, combining insights from medicine, public health, and social sciences. Moshabela has published in

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

journals and has presented his research findings at various international

conferences A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

. His research has significantly influenced health policies and practices in South Africa and other parts of Africa.

Leadership and advocacy

In addition to his academic and research roles, Moshabela is actively involved in

health advocacy Health advocacy or health activism encompasses direct service to the individual or family as well as activities that promote health and access to health care in communities and the larger public. Advocates support and promote the rights of the ...

. He works closely with various governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve health care access and quality. His leadership extends to several professional associations and health committees, where he contributes to shaping health policy and practice. He is the chair person of the National Research Foundation Board. He is a member of the

Academy of Science of South Africa The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) is the national science academy in South Africa. It was started in 1996, and encompasses all fields of scientific work. Its legal foundation is the ''Academy of Science of South Africa Act'', Act ...

Honors and awards

Moshabela has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his contributions to public health and

medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

. These accolades highlight his impact on improving health outcomes and his dedication to advancing health equity.

Selected publications

* Croke, K., Moshabela, M., Kapoor, N.R., Doubova, S.V., Garcia-Elorrio, E., HaileMariam, D., Lewis, T.P., Mfeka-Nkabinde, G.N., Mohan, S., Mugo, P. and Nzinga, J., 2024
Primary health care in practice: usual source of care and health system performance across 14 countries.
The Lancet Global Health, 12(1), pp.e134-e144. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(23)00513-2/fulltext * * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moshabela, Mosa Academic staff of the University of Cape Town Living people University of KwaZulu-Natal alumni University of the Witwatersrand alumni Alumni of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Year of birth missing (living people) Vice-chancellors of the University of Cape Town South African academics 21st-century South African physicians South African public health doctors