Hunting Bosons, Finding the Bummock
On October 30th, Professor Robin Wood, co-founder and former CEO of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), took…
On October 30th, Professor Robin Wood, co-founder and former CEO of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), took…
On October 30th, the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) hosted a Science and Community event, reflecting on its…
We are excited to share the latest edition of our LGBT+ Division Newsletter! In this issue, you’ll find…
Leading Health and LGBTQ+ Organisations Gather to Address the Need for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Health Systems and Evidence-Informed Care…
South Africa and Uganda – 20. AUGUST 2024 – The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), Africa Health Research…
South Africa and Uganda – 20. AUGUST 2024 – The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), Africa Health Research…
Cape Town, South Africa – June 21, 2024 – Gilead Sciences announced the groundbreaking results of the Phase…
Dear DTHF Community Members and Staff, We are excited to announce the 2024 Desmond Tutu Health Foundation Visual…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation expresses their heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Professor Jerry…
42 years into the AIDS epidemic and we have made impressive strides in the development and dissemination of…
According to Statista, homosexuality is illegal in 32 African countries. While this is not the case in South…
On 29 May 2023 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 into law, declaring consensual same-sex…
The fight against M.Tuberculosis persists as experts continue to make major strides. A recent study by a University…
We, the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and partners, strongly condemn the Anti-Homosexuality Bill passed in the Ugandan Parliament…
HVTN researchers and ethicists say findings will help guide new approaches to HIV vaccine studies SEATTLE (Wednesday, January…
WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY 2022. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA: We, representing the LGTBQI+ civil society and allies in Cape…
Too few South Africans living with HIV achieve viral suppression. Although advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have reduced…
*This article is based off a press release distributed by DTHF partner, Africa REACH. The Medicines Control…
People whose sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) do not conform to the majority may experience hostility and…
The DTHF is excited to host a webinar series on adolescent health research, in partnership with IAVI. The…
Are you a man or a transgender person who has sex with men? We want to talk to…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) would like to add our voice to the growing number of organisations…
UNAIDS goals specify that country programs should achieve viral suppression in at least 90% of those who start…
Men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender Men and Women have been historically marginalised within…
Adolescent girls and young women remain at disproportionately high risk of HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pre-exposure prophylaxis…
South Africa has fallen short of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals for 2020, particularly in the second two measures:…
11 March 2022: The nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) today announced that the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring…
American physician and anthropologist, Dr. Paul Farmer, died yesterday aged 62. Dr Farmer wad a professor at Harvard…
This annual lecture is organised in honour of the life and work of Stephen Lawn. Steve was Professor of…
Much has and will be said in the next months, and rightly so, about the late Archbishop…
The executive, Board and team at the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and Health Foundation are deeply saddened by…
The first COVID-19 case was diagnosed on March 5th, 2020. South Africa followed recommendations to employ non-pharmaceutical interventions…
*Please note, this press release was originally published by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network on 18 November 2021…
Professor Linda-Gail Bekker cautions that some might say, “‘I’m going to rely on my neighbour,’ but if everyone…
VRBPAC declined to vote on booster doses given at least 6 months from the initial dose, stating that…
Let me start by addressing the philosophical dilemma of the anti-vaxxer’s “freedom to choose”. The need to maintain…
A new international trial to assess whether high doses of the antiparasitic drug nitazoxanide could help treat patients…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) and Grassroot Soccer hosted a virtual workshop to jointly disseminate and discuss…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation greets with great disappointment yesterday’s announcement from Johnson & Johnson and partners that…
Women, specifically young women, are the face of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. While women are more…
The following article was originally published in The Lancet, Vol. 21, Issue 6, on 01 June 2021, by…
Today is #HIVVacineAwarenessDay – catch up on the latest in the quest for an HIV vaccine with DTHC…
This article was originally published on Health-E News on 14 April 2021, by Ndivhuwo Mukwevho. In South…
We are excited to announce we are running the 2020 Adolescent Youth Health Policy Online Short Course The…
The DTHF would like to express our regret and sadness at the news of the passing of Dr.…
Johnson & Johnson today announced topline efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE clinical trial, demonstrating…
Most advanced clinical trials testing broadly neutralizing antibody against HIV demonstrate efficacy against sensitive strains. The proof-of-concept…
Dear All Im very sad to tell you all that today we lost a medical giant and one…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation was very sad to hear about the passing of our long-time friend and…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation is mourning the loss of several respected and beloved colleagues this week, as…
In an opinion piece originally published in GroundUp, DTHF COO, Linda-Gail Bekker, describes what it has been like…
Another recognition of his lifelong dedication to advancing peace and equality, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been awarded the…
U.C President elect Joe Biden announced yesterday that he has chosen Dr. Rochelle Walensky, currently chief of infectious…
The following article was originally published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society on 28 November 2020.…
Battles won – and lost – against AIDS hold valuable lessons for managing COVID-19 Sonali Pal Chaudhury/NurPhoto via…
10 November 2020 – The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and Health Foundation welcome the announcement that another trial…
*The following press release was published by African Alliance on Monday 09 November 2020. South Africa’s newest…
Vaccine may strengthen immune response to viral infections, including SARS CoV2 South African scientists from the Universities…
30 September 2020 – The Desmond Tutu Health foundation bids a sad farewell to Timothy Ray Brown today,…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation welcomes the positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency on the monthly dapivirine…
We are excited to announce we are running the 2020 Adolescent Youth Health Policy Online Short Course The…
The 23rd International AIDS conference took place entirely online this week, for the first time in the conference’s…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), invites ambitious African research fellows…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation condemns the decision of the Trump administration to withdraw from the World Health…
We are excited to announce that we are changing the name of our organisation to the Desmond Tutu…
“These are remarkable times – and defining times – for the global HIV movement and for the world,”…
Some studies have suggested there may be a link between people’s vitamin D levels and COVID-19 outcomes, but…
Experts say the much-anticipated prospect of millions of vials of C-19 vaccine being available in September or October,…
Through your financial support, you can make a difference in Siphokhazi’s life and hundreds of youth like her.
As COVID-19 spreads in South Africa, the communities in which the DTHF works need our services more than…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation is deeply saddened to hear that pioneering AIDS activist, Larry Kramer, has passed…
It is completely free and open for anyone interested in the topic
This vaccine candidate will use the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) technology that is the basis for Merck’s…
Physical fitness is crucial for both a healthy body and a healthy mind and emotional wellbeing.
Tobacco causes 8 million deaths every year from cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders, cancers, diabetes, and hypertension.
Health workers and NGOs are grappling with how to integrate Covid-19 into other essential health services to avoid…
Our very own Professor Linda-Gail Bekker also added her support to Prof Gray.
18 MAY 2020 – The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) announced results from HPTN 083, a global randomized, controlled,…
Research is underway in several countries for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and South Africa is no…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation is deeply saddened by the news of Professor Gita Ramjee’s untimely passing due…
Linda-Gail Bekker, University of Cape Town The discovery of a rare new strain of HIV for the first…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre greets with great disappointment the news that the Phase 2b/3 HIV vaccine study…
In celebration of World Aids Day 2019, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) and the Wellcome Centre for…
International Men’s Day- Philippi Village After the success of our last partnership, the Legends Barbarshop mobile unit…
The recent arrest and subjection of LGBTQ activists in Uganda to demeaning physical examinations and threats of prosecution…
Today is World Mental Health Day, which serves as a day to unite our efforts to improve the…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation would like to wish our patron Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu a very…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre has a number of PhD candidates, one of whom is Funeka Bango, who…
“HIV is not connected to death, its connected to life and that is what I am doing to…
Ndumiso Madubela, a PhD candidate with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and the University of Cape Town,…
The South African Health News Service Tutu Truck – Get a haircut after HIV test health-e.org.za/2019/07/17/get-a-haircut-while-testing-for-hiv-at-the-tutu-truck/ July 17,…
9 July 2019 DTHF celebrates and supports the Finalists put forward for the UNAIDS top position. As Michel…
Ndumiso Madubela features in an International AIDS Society publication. A behavioural scientist and PhD candidate, Ndumiso coordinates the…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation is a non-profit organization working to lessen the impact of the HIV epidemic…
That first job? The excitement of matriculating out of high school can soon become a “what next?”…
We opened a new research facility in Sunnydale, near Masiphumelele, on Wednesday the 20th of February. We have…
SAVE the date! Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation along with UCT Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT Institute of…
By Linda-Gail Bekker, Deputy Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Women* have many gender-unique experiences. Some of…
By Linda-Gail Bekker & Brian Kanyemba Good health is fundamental for a good life. It is the trampoline…
By Linda-Gail Bekker, Anele Ngqokwe, Sibabale Silo, Akho Mpame, & Khanyiselo Silo 2017 has arrived, and I don’t know…
Valentines Day, as legend has it, originated when St Valentine took it upon himself to secretly help couples…
8 March is International Womens Day and in 2017 the chosen theme is: Be Bold for Change. Women’s…
On 4th March 2017, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation organised a poetry writing workshop around the theme ‘The…
This World TB Day 2017 theme is: Unite to End TB; Leave no one behind. Many people infected…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DHTF) has been researching HIV and providing outreach around Cape Town for over…
To commemorate World Immunisation Week, we are sharing some of our research in HIV immunity trials. The Desmond…
Vaccines protect us from serious illnesses like mumps, polio and rubella. These diseases, which used to be harmful,…
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterium that infects the lungs and can be fatal if left untreated. Therefore,…
We live in an age of incredible luxury. Many people today have never encountered diseases that were once…
This week is not only National Nurses Week but also Mental Health Awareness Week, ending on Friday 12th…
What is PrEP PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It is a daily drug that can be taken by…
With its signature rainbow banner, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation’s mobile fleet (Tutu Tester, Tutu Teen Truck, and…
Anti Retrovirals (ARVs) suppresses HIV, so if we have a way to manage HIV, why do we need…
The goal for all infectious diseases is to find a drug that can quickly eradicate the infecting pathogen,…
Whilst there isn’t yet a cure for HIV, the virus can go into ‘remission’. This is where the…
Whilst a person living with HIV can suppress the virus with antiretrovirals, there is no cure. A cure…
HIV infection is not a concern in the workplace, for most people. However, for sex workers, the risk…
21 November 2018 Desmond Tutu Award For Hiv Prevention Research And Human Rights Desmond Tutu Award for HIV…
We want to talk to you! Globally HIV transmission is still a key social problem which needs a…
30 July 2018 Commemorating Professor Bongani Mayosi South Africa has lost a great physician. Professor Bongani Mayosi was an…
Lancet Commission Report”This week, we publish a new International AIDS Society (IAS)–Lancet Commission report: Advancing global health and strengthening…
The Insight to Impact: Demand Creation Challenge was dedicated to awarding innovative, disruptive, and compelling HIV prevention communications…
We are excited to announce we are running the Adolescent Youth Health Policy Short Course for the SECOND…
An HIV vaccine regimen tested in an early-phase clinical trial elicited robust immune responses that appeared to be…
Graduation Day The Zimele project graduated their first group of participants from the Women of Worth programme in…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation are delighted to announce the…
On the 17th of May 2018, countries around the world will gather in celebration of the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB).…
Scientists from the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) based at the University of Cape Town and the…
The DTHF team at the Gugulethu Research Offices (GRO) under the direction of local Principal Investigator, Assoc Professor…
Many young South Africans do not know that contraceptives are available. The shipment of more than 20 000 Coral Healthcare…
The Mark Wainberg Fellowship Programme: Experts in HIV Service Delivery is a two-year fellowship for five sub-Saharan African…
On December 1st, World AIDS Day 2017, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (Cape Town, South Africa) partnered with Butler’s Pizza.…
This World AIDS Day 2017, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (Cape Town, South Africa) has partnered with Butler’s Pizza…
The Tutu Teen Truck is a non-traditional health clinic on the back of a truck. This free service…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with the International AIDS…
The Emavundleni research centre is a branch of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation that specialises in HIV prevention…
In developing countries, there will be an estimated 89 million unintended pregnancies this year. Nearly three quarters of these women…
In South Africa, there are a predicted 800 thousand to 1.8 million men who have sex with men…
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has a fantastic fellowship program, and two of their fellows have been…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) has an active presence in our local communities in Cape Town. Vuyiseka…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has several studies for young women who want to prevent HIV by taking an…
Everyone has heard of the different ways that HIV can spread: unprotected sex, sharing needles and childbirth to…
Coral Healthcare (India & Australia) have undertaken to provide their top quality condoms to the DTHF as their…
A daily pill, a monthly vaginal ring or an injection every two months: These were the prevention options…
Key figures leading the fight against HIV discussed the status of the elusive HIV cure. Chaired by Prof…
Only one man has ever been cured of HIV. Timothy Ray Brown has been living ten years since…
At the UN General Assembly meeting Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS, announced that an exciting new pricing…
The Plus Pills study, led by Professor Bekker, is a part of a three-part study examining PrEP use…
PrEP is an everyday pill that an HIV negative person can take to prevent getting HIV. Consistent use…
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a population at high risk of HIV infection. In order…
This week, we were fortunate to have a visit from Sabine Van Elsland from the Desmond and Leah…
The International AIDS Symposium (IAS) Conference 2017 was a wealth of cutting edge research and discussion on HIV…
It was a delight to have a two-for-one research meeting with Ndumiso Madubela and Caroline Reid. Madubela discussed…
The IAS2017 Conference on HIV Science held in Paris in July highlighted the progress made internationally to eradicate…
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation invites staff of governmental & non-governmental organizations working at national, provincial & district levels…
“It is in your hands to make of the world a better place.” This quote by Nelson Mandela…
IAVI #YOUTHTALK Workshop 9th/10th May 2017 For the second year, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) partnered with us to…
Prudence Mabele: Tribute We have lost a champion. Prudence Mabele will always be remembered for being the first…
In 1982, the first case of HIV was reported in South Africa. Thereafter the unerring march of AIDS…
HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was: antiretroviral therapy (ARTs) have become so sophisticated that…
Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) is currently recommended for men living in areas where HIV rates are high and…
New HIV prevention technologies are researched all the time at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. Often, scientists are…
We were very fortunate to have Professor Robin Wood and Dr Keren Middelkoop, both from the Desmond Tutu…
The last research meeting of April was on the subject of medical male circumcision (MMC), hosted by Nathan…
The final March research presentation was hosted by Andrea Mendelsohn and Shabaana Osman. Mendelsohn presented the first portion…
Why is there a March for Science this Saturday? 22 April marks Earth Day and the anniversary of…
At the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation’s (DTHF) March research meeting, we had the pleasure of not one, but…
Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) strongly endorses the Prevention Access Campaign (PAC) core message: Undetectable HIV is Untransmittable…
DTHF received the UBUNTU Award for Social Responsibility at a gala event in Cape Town on 17th February. …
Zimele Project: Launch This January, there was a buzz of excitement at Philippi Village as 120 new staff…
HIV Vaccine Trial to be launched in South Africa “We’ve never treated our way out of an epidemic.…
9 Steps: HIV Prevention Revolution in Resource-Limited Settings It’s 3 decades into the war with HIV/AIDS and so…
International Girl-Child Day Data is the first step to solving a problem. It sets the scene, uncovers the…
Obituary – Steve Lawn It is with great sadness that we share the news with you that our…
Cape Town alone has more TB each year than the US, Canada, UK and Germany put together. Professor…
If you could shuffle all of the homes in the world like a deck of cards so that…
As the 21st International AIDS Conference wraps up in Durban, South Africa, Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, incoming International AIDS…
Ntando Yola, Education and Community Engagement Manager at the Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) has been elected to serve…
Starting antiretroviral treatment early has substantial health benefits for those living with HIV. The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation…
Tom Lindsay, President of Alere Africa, has signed an agreement to sponsor the Tutu Teen Truck mobile unit…
Prof Linda-Gail Bekker, has been featured in the May 2015 issue of VAX, the Bulletin on AIDS Vaccine…
The DTHF Family Planning Integration into HIV Care and Treatment Services Project (FPI Project) has launched the Contraceptive…
The Alan Pifer Award was granted to them for excellence in research, treatment, training and prevention of HIV–related diseases…
Brian Kanyemba from the DTHF Men’s Division attended the Co-infections, Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections conference in Seattle February…
AGS Movers are platinum sponsors of the annual FIDI international conference to be held in Cape Town 29th March…
On World AIDS Day (December 1st), a high-level delegation from the European Union and European & Developing Countries…
Join us in warmly congratulating our Director, Prof Robin Wood, on his recently being awarded the Weber-Parkes Medal…
Prof. Linda-Gail Bekker is new President-Elect of the International AIDS Society The International AIDS Society (IAS) has announced…
Prof Lange was based in Amsterdam and was one of the first international colleagues who helped us to…
Join us in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the DTHF – Children of the Light On the 7th…
Metropolitan has made a substantial contribution to the Tutu Tester Project. Since its inception, in 2008 the Tutu…
“South Africa is currently implementing the largest antiretroviral treatment programme in the world. This is a very positive…
Mpho Kathleen Ndebele is a retired professional social worker. She has served on varied boards, including the Environmental…
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has condemned Uganda’s proposed law against homosexuality, saying there is no scientific or moral basis…
The DTHF colourful mobile unit, the Tutu Tester is on the road again, this time in Hout Bay.…
Pieter-Dirk Uys is generously giving a charity performance of his new show, Adapt or Fly, to benefit the…
Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institutue of Infecious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, UCT: The annual tea party given by…
DTHF staff – you are amazing! There was a fantastic response to provide gifts for Gogos following the…
The MRC is offering funding for high profile medical research projects, known as “Flagship Projects” because of the…
The DTHF Youth Centre hosted President Barack Obama on Sunday 30 June 2013. The purpose of the event…
DTHF receives Computerworld Honors Program Medal for World Good. At a gala event in Washington DC, USA on…
The DTHF is delighted that the band Freshlyground has been honoured by the US non-profit, Shared Interest, at…
Selected public sector AIDS patients will start to take simplified ARV treatment of just one combination pill a…
Children who are infected with HIV need particular support and encouragement if they are to manage their health.…
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn, European Union, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, was received by Dr Surita Roux, Director the…
The members of the popular South African band, Freshlyground, have been outstanding supporters of the DTHF over many…
Robert is a senior partner of Webber Wentzel, a major South African law firm. Robert specialises in mergers and acquisitions, project related and other transactional work, in the main in the health and technology arenas. Robert has worked in, and is expert in a number of African jurisdictions including Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Mozambique, Kenya, Namibia and others.
Robert was lead attorney for Business Unity South Africa and Business 4 South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic and he was and remains led attorney to the South African National Department of Health in relation to COVID-19 vaccines.
Robert was previously Honorary Business Representative for the Middle East and Africa Group for International Enterprise Singapore; the government agency driving Singapore’s external economy. He has also been recognized in several International journals as an expert several legal fields. Robert has BA and LLB degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Robert is the co-author of two books, namely “Public Offers of Company Securities” and of “Business Rescue and Compromise Offers”.
With over 25 years of experience in the health and development sector – from the nurturing of non-government and community based HIV organisations in South Africa to leading international science based advocacy agencies – Kevin brings a solid understanding of policy and service delivery integration that is grounded in community centered realities.
With a background in education and human rights, Kevin has managed a number of large scale international and regional HIV programmes by forging sustainable partnerships with government, communities, UN agencies, the private sector and other development stakeholders. Many of these have intentionally focused on addressing the structural barriers that impede service access – especially for key populations. The PLHIV Stigma Index – which is now routinely used as a tool to capture changes in HIV- related stigma and which has been applied in over 45 countries – was his brainchild.
His leadership roles include being the Executive Director of the International AIDS Society in Geneva; the chief of party for the PEPFAR- and USAID-supported key population focused LINKAGES project in Washington, DC; the Country Director for PATH in South Africa and the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Global HIV Advisor in London.
Kevin has been living with HIV for over half his life and is a passionate advocate for ensuring that policies and strategies make a tangible difference in the lives of those whose voices are either seldom heard, listened to or discounted.
Your application form was sent successfully. Candidates who are selected for interviews will be requested to furnish additional certified information that may be required to make a final selection.
Dr Khosi Kubeka is a Senior Lecturer in UCT’s Department of Social Development, having joined the department in 2010 as an AW Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Dr Kubeka represents the interests if the University of Cape Town on the DTHF board. She currently teaches research methods and coordinates all the research programmes in her department. Dr Kubeka’s areas of research and interest lie in Youth Developmental Wellbeing, specifically youth exclusion and inclusion in education, health and the economy, as well as youth contribution to community development.
Professor Robin Wood has had a distinguished career in medicine, both within South Africa and further afield. He is currently the Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. His first foot on the ladder was as student medical officer at a hospital in Peru, followed by stints in the United Kingdom and later, Zambia. In 1990 he took up a Clinical Fellowship at Stanford University.
He subsequently served at the New Somerset Hospital in Cape Town where he became Principal Specialist and Head of Department of Medicine. It was in this setting that he confronted the HIV epidemic leading to the establishment in 2004 of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre within the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He has A-rated academic status and has influenced health policies within South Africa and abroad. A prolific writer, he has published numerous research papers, articles and several books and is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards.
Charles Abrahams practices as a qualified attorney-at-law with specialist experience in business and human rights law, sovereign debt, complex class action litigation, public interest and human rights law, and competition law. He is a senior partner at Abrahams Kiewitz Incorporated. He frequently participates in and is often invited to contribute to domestic and international conferences and seminars.
In particular, he has participated as an expert consultant in the mandates of Professor John Ruggie, then Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General for Business and Human Rights that led to the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. He is currently a consultant for the UN, drafting the commentary on the Guiding Principles of Foreign Debt and Human Rights. Among other accolades and honours, he was Cape Law Society Human Rights Attorney of the Year, 2012.
Mpho Ndebele is a retired professional social worker who has served on various boards, including the Environmental Development Agency, the National Business Initiative, Black Sash, Impumelelo Innovations Awards, Brimstone Investments and Siphumelele Investments. She served as the first Executive Director of the Social Change Assistance Trust, an independent fundraising and grantmaking development agency. In 2010 she was appointed the first lay-Canon in the Diocese of Cape Town and the first woman and lay-person to be selected as Chancellor of St George’s Cathedral.
Eldest daughter of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond and Mrs Leah Tutu, Thandeka is deeply concerned about public health. She has a Masters degree in Public Health from Emory University, Atlanta, USA. She has served as Research Project Coordinator, Rollings School of Public Health, Emory University; Director, Africa Projects University of California; and Programme Manager, Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto. Currently, Thandeka is CEO of Tutudesk – an international organisation based in Johannesburg that promotes a simple plastic table that is changing the lives of learners in under-resourced countries around the world, including South Africa.
Peter Grant joined the University of Cape Town Finance Department in 1983. In 1990 he became the second most senior person within the department until his retirement in 2015. He also took on the responsibilities of acting-Director Finance from time to time. The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has benefitted greatly from his financial expertise.
Professor Linda-Gail Bekker is the deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre a research centre within the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town. She is also the chief operating officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and immediate past president of the International AIDS Society. She has had a distinguished career as a professor of medicine and is a principal investigator of numerous groundbreaking studies in the field of HIV and TB.
Zohra Ebrahim holds an HDE degree from the University of Cape Town. After two years of teaching, she rose to become the national civic coordinator of the United Democratic Front. She subsequently became the first black female President of the South African Institute of People Management. Zohra’s leadership at company and organisational level is rooted in years of community involvement and institution building. She has a profile that few women in South Africa have attained in the community, business, and political fields. Among her awards are the Lebone Women Achievers 1997, and she was elected as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1998. Her extensive knowledge, skills and experience across both the private and public sector make her an invaluable member of the DTHF team.
“Are you healthy?” Linda-Gail Bekker believes passionately in the right of every citizen to health and wellbeing. At the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation she has brought together rigorous clinical research with community development. As an NPO the Foundation is able to raise funds to support outreach projects particularly those engaging youth. With a deep concern for the vulnerability of young people growing up in adverse situations, her vision is to create and sustain a centre of excellence for adolescent health and wellbeing.
A pioneer in the introduction of treatment and clinical care of people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Robin Wood was a staunch activist for access to antiretroviral therapy when this medication was denied to South Africans. A prolific writer and ardent investigator, his passion is to answer the question, “Why does tuberculosis continue to ravage our communities when the disease is curable and has been brought under control in many urban situations?”