Fellows

Campion Zharima

Roles: Fellow

Position: PhD Fellow

Qualifications: MA: Research Psychology; Bachelor of Social Work

Email: campionzharima@gmail.com

Campion is a SARChI (Health Systems and Policy) PhD research fellow specializing in the implementation of electronic health systems in primary health care. He currently holds a Master’s degree in research Psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand. Before joining the Centre for Health Policy, he was a bio-behavioral research intern at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Research interests Digital health implementation, Gender dynamics and HIV/AIDS, health systems and policy analysis.

Saira Abdulla

Roles: Fellow

Position: PhD Fellow

Qualifications: MA in Demography and Population Studies

Saira Abdulla is a SARChI PhD research fellow, and holds a Masters degree in Demography and Population studies. Prior to joining the PhD program, Saira was a M&E manager at I-TECH SA . She has worked on various projects including HIV prevention interventions, Mental health integration (MhINT) and Key Population programmes. Her PhD focus is on strengthening community-based collaborative strategies for people living with serious mental illness in SA.

Research interests Saira has a keen interest in implementation research, and her research focus includes improving care for people living with mental illness, HIV/AIDS prevention, and health policy implementation.

Samantha Mhlanga

Roles: Intern

Position: Pre-PhD intern

Qualifications: MA: Demography and population studies, Bachelor of Social Work

Email: mhlanga54m@gmail.com

Samantha is a SARChi (health systems and policy) Pre-PhD intern. She currently holds a master’s degree in Demography and population studies from the University of Witwatersrand. Her master’s report focused on the socio-demographic and household factors associated with the type of employment among South Africa women. Before joining the centre for health policy, she worked as a research assistant and qualitative fieldworker. Currently, she is preparing for a PhD study which will evaluate the residential care services for people with mental illness.

Research interests Social justice, equality, health systems and mental health care services.

Miss Tintswalo Mabasa

Roles: Intern

Position: Pre-PhD Intern

Miss Tintswalo Mabasa is a Pre-PhD Intern at the Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand.

Qualifications: Tintswalo holds a Master of Arts in Social Work by Dissertation (research). She also holds a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from the same University, Witwatersrand.

Research interests: Tintswalo has a keen interest in the discharge process for people living with serious mental illness from hospital to community-based care and how to improve continuity of care and user experience. During her Master’s degree, her research focus was on the beliefs and perceptions of adolescents about sexual relationships: a case of two public secondary schools in Soweto, Gauteng.

Nadine Nanji

Roles: Intern

Position: Pre-PhD Intern

Qualifications: Masters in Public Health (Health Systems & Policy)

Email: Nadine.nanji@wits.ac.za

Nadine’s Masters in Public Health thesis was on Faith-based mental health provision in Africa: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Prior to joining CHP as a Pre-PhD intern, Nadine has worked as a research assistant at University of Cape Town and was a Secretary Board Member for the International Working Group for Health Systems Strengthening (IWG). Research interests: Health financing, health systems resilience in conflict and crises settings, as well as the overall, strengthening of mental health services and systems. Currently, she is preparing for a PhD study which will create a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) intervention in South Africa.

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