Speakers
PLENARY SPEAKERS

Robin J Green

Prof Amanda Howe

Salim Abdool Karim

Prof Shabhir Madhi

Prof Priya Soma-Pillay

Theresa Rossouw

Laurel Baldwin-Ragavan

Vincent Setlhare

Robin J Green
Robin J Green is Chairman of the School of Medicine at the University of Pretoria. He is also Director of Paediatric Services at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria. He is a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, in the School of Medicine at the University of Pretoria. He holds a PhD and DSc, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Chest Physicians. He is a Past President of the College of Paediatricians of South Africa and a Past Chairman of the Allergy Society of South Africa.
Prof Amanda Howe
Amanda Howe is the inaugural Professor of Primary Care at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, U.K. She is also the current President of the Royal College of General Practitioners in the U.K., and immediate past President of WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors). She is still practising as a family doctor after almost 40 years and has seen many changes in her working lifetime. She has visited South Africa three times in her life, and looks forward to the next meeting – even though virtual!
Salim Abdool Karim
Salim Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD, FRS is director of the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and CAPRISA Professor for Global Health at Columbia University. He is an Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University, Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Cornell University and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is a member of the WHO Science Council. He is the chair of the WHO’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for HIV. He is a member of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus and the Lancet Commission on COVID-19. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Prof Shabhir Madhi
Shabir A. Madhi, M.B.B.C.H. (Wits), FCPaeds(SA), Ph.D.Shabir Madhi is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He also holds the position of Director of the South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (VIDA) and is co-Director of the African Leadership Initiative for Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE). He has in the past led studies on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and rotavirus vaccine in Africa, which informed WHO recommendations on the use of these vaccines in low and middle income settings. Recently, he led the first two COVID-19 vaccine studies being undertaken in Africa, and has been involved in multiple epidemiological studies on Covid-19. He has co-authored more than 480 scientific manuscripts since 1997, mainly on vaccine preventable diseases

Prof Priya Soma-Pillay
- Professor and Head of Department
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital
- President: College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SA)
- Hon. Secretary: South African Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists
Email: priya.somapillay@up.ac.za
Professor Priya Soma-Pillay is the Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the UP/SAMRC Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and Child Healthcare Strategies. She is the President of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of South Africa, and past honorary secretary of the South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Member of FIGO Executive Board.

Theresa Rossouw
Prof Theresa Rossouw is a professor and head of the Immunopathology laboratory in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pretoria. She is a clinician scientist and has a double PhD, one in Immunology and one in Philosophy. She is an NRF-rated scientist and mainly works in the field of HIV and related infections where she is specifically interested in HIV-associated drug resistance and systemic immune activation. She is a member of the World Health Organization’s Research and Innovation Working Group, HIVResNet, as well as various scientific committees, including the Southern African HIV Clinician Society. She also has a keen interest in biomedical ethics is currently the chairperson of the Human Sciences Research Council’s Research Ethics Committee as well as the deputy-chairperson of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences’ Research Ethics Committee.
Laurel Baldwin-Ragavan
Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven AB (Smith), MDCM (McGill), CCFP, FCFP (Canada), FCFP (South Africa) is a Professor of Family Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Clinical Head of Family Medicine with the Gauteng Department of Health for the four Southern districts. She has over 35 years of experience as a physician, teacher, academic, administrator and human rights practitioner across multiple settings in South Africa, Canada and the United States. She writes extensively on dual loyalty of health care workers, medical participation in torture, health sector complicity with apartheid state violence, gender-based violence, feminism and bioethics, migrant health, and training and education in health and human rights.
Vincent Setlhare
Dr. Vincent Setlhare (MD, MBA, MFamMed, FGHL, final year PhD student) is Head of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Medicine at the University of Botswana (Botswana, Africa). He is a family physician who teaches family medicine and research to both undergraduate and post graduate students. His main area of research is in primary health care where his main area of interest is doctor patient interactions/relationships and how they impact care in Botswana. Dr Vincent Setlhare is a member of the World Spine Care Executive Committee and is the Botswana PI of the Global Spine Care Initiative Project. He is chairman of the African Consortium for Excellence in Family Medicine, an organisation of faculty from five African universities in southern Africa. He is is presently helping to review the WHO Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation of People with Low Back Pain. Vincent is a member of Primafamed, Wonca (Africa), ISQua, and the Botswana Association of Family Physicians.WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

Loren Jordaan

Dr. Liesl Botha

Frans Baar

Dr Valerie Vannevel

Vanessa Burch

Dr Janine Kirby

Dr Tsakane Hlongwane

Prof Hoffie Conradie

Loren Jordaan
Loren Human is a Motivational Interviewing (MI) facilitator, mentor and practitioner. She runs a private practice and is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University Department of Family Medicine. She is a member of MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) and has over a decade of experience facilitating MI workshops across South Africa in a variety of contexts. She has worked extensively in both the private and public sector within a varied demographic, from psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to peer educators, health promotors and responsible gambling industry staff. She is passionate about the practical application of MI as an intervention tool at a grassroots level.
Dr. Liesl Botha
Tertiary Education:- MBChB – University of Pretoria (1999)
- MMed (Emergency Medicine) – University of Pretoria (2011)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine – UCT (2018)
- Healthcare Provider Course (American Heart Association)
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Advanced Paediatric Life Support)
- AMLS (Advanced Medical Life Support)
- ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support)
- ACLS EP (Advanced Cardiac Life Support for the Experienced Provider)
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
- Emergency Management of Severe Burns
- HMIMMS (Hospital Major Incident Medical Management & Support)
- Basic Emergency Care Course (BECC)
- UP Medical Education Orientation
- Level 1 Emergency Ultrasound Course, Accreditation & Lecturer
- EMpret Venomous Animals Poisonous Plants Course (VAPP)
- Introduction to Palliative Care – Sungardens Hospice
- Medical Crew Resource Management Course
- Echo Guided Life Support (EGLS)
- EMpret EKG course

Frans Baar
Elderly Care Physician, Consultant Palliative Care not practising since 01-01-2021
26031951 Born in Heerlen, Netherlands
1959 Rotterdam: schools, university
Education, Work
18031977 Medical Doctor
01081978 General Practitioner
01081978 Training Neurology, Internal Medicine, First Aid
01031980 Elderly Care Physician
1980 Elderly Care Physician, Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Centre Antonius IJsselmonde in Rotterdam.
1980 – 1985 Project Terminal Care Antonius IJsselmonde: how to improve the care for the dying, their relatives and the professional caregivers.
1993 First Hospice-ward in a Dutch Nursing Home , Antonius IJsselmonde
1993 – 1995 Development Quality Framework Palliative Care for Nursing Homes, in cooperation with the Dutch Association of Nursing Homes
1996 – 2003 Member and Chairman Dutch Network Palliative Care, NPTN
2001 – 2003 Member Project group Integration Hospice care National Health Care system
2002 Network Palliative Care Rotterdam
2002 Consultant Palliative Care
2003 Chairman Organizing Committee 8e congress European Association on Palliatieve Care The Hague
2004 – 2017 Director Leerhuizen Palliatieve Zorg: Centre Education and development protocols
2005 – 2009 Member Guidelines Palliative Sedation (two versions)
2015 – 2017 Member Project group the Netherlands Quality Framework for Palliative Care
01012021 Retirement
Personal and living
1977 Married with Corine Baar – Poort, General Practitioner
Two children Sanne and Thomas (with Kata!)
01012021 Retirement
Hobby’s People, books, music, museums, nature, sculpting, cooking and dining, philosophy, cycling, family and friends

Dr Valerie Vannevel
Dr. Vannevel studied medicine at Catholic University Leuven, Belgium and subsequently started obstetrics & gynecology specialization through the Catholic University Leuven. She trained for 4 years in Belgium and spent the last year at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria, resulting in her graduating and obtaining her MMed in September 2016. She started working for SAMRC in November 2016 as a researcher and as an obstetrician in Kalafong Hospital. Her clinical interests lie in maternal and fetal medicine (ultrasound, recurrent pregnancy loss). She is an ESMOE master trainer and her current research work is on Umbiflow International study and Intrapartum Care. She is focused on improving pregnancy outcomes and improving childbirth for pregnant women in low and middle-income countries.
Vanessa Burch
Vanessa Burch is a rheumatologist and health professions educator who holds a PhD in Assessment from Erasmus University in the Netherlands. She was Professor and Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cape Town (2008-2018) and is currently Honorary Professor of Medicine and the Executive Director of Education and Assessment at the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. She has received numerous HPE awards, served on international medical education journal editorial boards and is the founding editor of the African Journal of Health Professions Education. She is also a Fellow of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and holds a Teaching at University (TAU) Fellowship from the Council for Higher Education of South Africa. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and monographs. Her expertise and research include assessment of clinical competence, workplace-based teaching and assessment, clinical reasoning, curriculum design and programme evaluation.
Dr Janine Kirby
Janine Kirby is an integrative medical practitioner and mindfulness teacher based in East London.After qualifying at UCT in 1987, she obtained a Diploma in Child Health, a Diploma in Obstetrics and a Masters in Family Medicine. She worked in the public sector for many years before starting her own integrative medical practice and acquiring professional qualifications in Homeopathy.
Janine enjoys teaching having facilitated both under- and post-graduate Family Medicine training. She has been teaching the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme (MBSR) since 2010.
Janine is currently the chairperson of the Institute of Mindfulness of South Africa (IMISA).

Dr Tsakane Hlongwane
Specialist Obstetrician and gynaecologist from the University of Pretoria (UP). She is an aspiring clinician scientist, working at Steve Biko Academic hospital and SAMRC-UP Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies Unit. She has a special interest in maternal and perinatal health, and improving health systems.Her current work focuses on improving the antenatal experience of care and preventing stillbirths.

Prof Hoffie Conradie
Hoffie Conradie is a family physician who worked for many years in rural health care in both public and private practice. He is an emeritus associate professor of family medicine at Stellenbosch University based in Worcester. He was instrumental in establishing a rural postgraduate family medicine program and a rural clinical school for undergraduate students.He is still facilitating both under and post-graduate family medicine training in rural health services. He is an accredited life coach and in this capacity supports rural health care workers.
SEMINAR SPEAKERS

Prof N Ranjith

Dr. K. Naidoo

Prof Bernhard Gaede

Dr Marthinus Heystek

Dr Rene Krause

Mergan Naidoo

Shannon Ann Odell

Dr Padaruth Ramlachan

Dr Fraser Pirie

Prof N Ranjith
- Director of the Heart Failure and Cardiac Centre at City Hospital [JMH holdings]
- Part time at Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, Professor in Medicine, sub division of Cardiology
- Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and European Society of Heart Failure.
- Secretary of the South African Heart Failure Society
- Steering committee of the South African Hypertension society
- On numerous editorial boards and advisory committees both nationally and internationally
- Special interests include cardiac biomarkers, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome and the genetics of cardiology. I have published over a 100 papers both nationally and internationally on various aspects of cardiology and presented papers at many international meetings. I am also a member of several international societies, some of which include Member of the SACOOR Medical Group International Pharmaceutical Industry Consultants as an Opinion Leader / Expert involved in therapy of hypertriglyceridemia. Council Member of the Gerson Lehrman Group’s Health Care Council. Member – South African Clinical Research Associates. Member of the CORONA writing group & CORONA Genetics sub-committee

Dr. K. Naidoo
Dr K Naidoo is Head of Clinical Unit- Family Medicine, with A Master’s Degree in Family Medicine; Master’s degree in Medical Law;FCFP(SA) and PhD-Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health-UK. PHD Thesis entitled “Ethical Dilemmas Encountered by Critical Care Specialists in the Admission of HIV infected patients to Intensive Care.”HE is a strong advocate for Human Rights, Research Ethics, GBV and adherence to high standards of Ethical and Professional Conduct.
He is a Council member of the College of Family Physicians and current Chair of HDIP OSCE committee of CFP He is currently supervising 3 PHD and 4 Masters in Family Medicine candidates.
Co-Ordinator for Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine Module: Foundations of Family Medicine and Bioethics Lecture on Research Bioethics to MMED- Family Medicine Registrars.
Involved in decentralized teaching and training in MBCHB 4, 5, and 6 in Durban, PMB, Northern Natal- Church of Scotland Hospitals and Dundee Hospital.
Task Committee member of KZNDOH-UKZN Cuban Collaboration programme in accreditation of decentralized teaching and training sites.
Involved in Emergency Update Programmes for UKZNDOH medical, nursing and allied staff- talk on Management of Rape Survivor and emergency care ethics. Occurs 6 times per year.

Prof Bernhard Gaede
Bernhard Gaede is a family physician currently appointed as Associate Professor and Head of Department of Family Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. Prior to this appointment he was the Director of the Centre for Rural Health at UKZN. He worked in rural hospital settings for well over a decade prior to joining UKZN, the bulk of it in the Bergville area, KwaZulu-Natal that included working with traditional healers, homebased carers and community structures. He has also been actively involved in the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa and the Rural Health Advocacy Project, with a strong focus on policy development and advocacy. He competed his medical undergraduate studies at the University of the Witwatersrand and qualified as a family physician from MEDUNSA in 2004. In 2014 he completed his PhD through the University of Pretoria, focusing on the experiences and challenges of health professionals working in the public sector bureaucracy. He is a SAFRI / FAIMER fellow and has a broad interest in medical humanities and recent research includes health professional education, distributed training platforms and community engagement.
Dr Marthinus Heystek
Dr Marthinus Heystek qualified in 1986 from the University of Pretoria. After his 1-year internship and 2 year compulsory military training he joined the Family Medicine Department at Kalafong Hospital. In 1994 he obtained his MPraxMed degree and was appointed as a Family Physician at Mamelodi Hospital. In 2006 he moved to the Family Medicine department at SBAH. He has a special interest in all types of “GP surgery”. He has done more than 500 tonsillectomies. Currently he is a Head of Clinical Unit at SBAH. Outside of medicine he is a keen cyclist and enjoy any to watch any sport on television. If it were not for COVID he would have done his 27th Cape town /Argus Cycle tour in 2021.
Dr Rene Krause
Dr Krause is a Family Physician with a masters degree in Palliative Medicine and a postgraduate diploma in Health Professional education. She is currently a senior lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health (University of Cape town) and convenor of the postgraduate diploma in Palliative Medicine. She assists in the 6th year lecturing and supervision during the rotation in Family Medicine. She also supervises Masters student in Palliative Medicine and supervises registrars of Family Medicine during their Palliative Medicine rotation. Clinically, Dr Krause has an honorary appointment at Groote Schuur hospital consulting in palliative care. In Groote Schuur Hospital she works alongside the medical, surgical and oncology teams consulting in palliative care across this 900-bed hospital. Dr Krause’s research interest is the strengthening and integration of Palliative Care practices in hospitals. Dr Krause is busy doing a PhD in the integration of palliative care in academic teaching hospitals within the Department of Family Medicine at UCT. Clinically, she works across the continuum of care from home, hospices and hospitals. She is situated in Family Medicine where the drive is to develop palliative care into all curriculums.
Mergan Naidoo
Mergan Naidoo (MBChB, M.Fam.Med, FCFP, M.Sc (Sports Medicine, Dip HIV Man, DipPEC, PhD) is an Associate Professor and Head: Clinical Unit in the Discipline of Family Medicine at UKZN and Wentworth Hospital. He has a special interest in Maternal Health, Primary Emergency Care, Infectious diseases, clinical governance and Healthcare Worker Education. He has more than thirty peer reviewed publications. He has been actively involved in the COVID 19 response at Wentworth Hospital and has chaired the COVID 19 task team at the hospital and is involved in community engagement around COVID19. He contracted COVID19 while practicing as a clinician. He will share his personal and professional experience while working at WWH.
Shannon Ann Odell
2020- current – Private Palliative Care Provider: Beyond-Health Medical CentreLecturer PG Diploma Palliative Medicine at UCT
2019-2020 – Lecturer PG Diploma Palliative Medicine at UCT
Tutor 3rd year MBChB Palliative care module (Stellenbosch University)
2015-2020 – Medical Officer Living Hope Hospice/ Step-down facility, Capri, Cape Town
2014-2015 – Sessional Clinical Tutor (ad hoc) 3rd year UCT MBChB students Neonatology
2014 – Sessional Clinical Tutor (ad hoc) 4th year UCT MBChB students Child health
2010-2014 – Stay-at-home-mom
2010 – General Practitioner Mediclinic Guildford and Wimbledon (UK)
2008-2009 – Locum Senior House Officer Orthopaedics East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, UK
2007 – Medical Officer Vhi Swiftcare Emergency Clinic, Dublin, Ireland
2006 – Medical Officer White Cross Accident and Medical Clinic, Whangarei, New Zealand
2001-2005 – General Practitioner at Longbeach Medical Centre, Noordhoek, Cape Town
2000 – Community service Groote Schuur Hospital (Obstetrics Department) and Red Cross War Memorial Hospital (Paediatrics)
1999 – Internship Far East Rand Hospital, Springs

Dr Padaruth Ramlachan
Dr Padaruth Ramlachan graduated with his MBChB from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa in 1985. Following his career as a General practitioner, he completed a Master’s Degree in Health Sciences (Sexual Health) from the University of Sydney in 2007. In 2012, he received the Fellow of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine Specialist (FECSM) from the European Union of Medical Specialist. Dr Ramlachan is the past president of the Durban Doctors Guild/Independent Practitioner Association (IPA), he is the chairperson of the Pharmaceutical andTherapeutic Committee of the KZNDHC and serves as a member of the Financial Committee of International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM). Dr Ramlachan is also internationally recognized as the past president of the African Society for Sexual Medicine (ASSM).
Dr Fraser Pirie
Professional Affiliations
- Health Professions Council of South Africa 1986 – present
- Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa – member of Executive Committee 1998 – 2006 (Treasurer 2000; Vice Chair 2001, Chairperson 2004-2006)
- College of Medicine of South Africa 1994 – present
- General Medical Council (United Kingdom) 1995 – present
Current Research
- A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility loci in African subjects of Zulu descent in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
- Discover ME South Africa – a study matching phenotype and genotype data in 100 000 subjects
CLINICAL SPEAKERS

Dr Alain Assounga

Dr. Steven C. Brooks

Mike Lukhozi

Dr Hlayisani V. Mamorobela

Dr Alain Assounga
Clinical and Research Experience
Intern, General Hospital of Brazzaville,Congo 1983-1984
Residency and Fellowship in Internal Medicine
and Nephrology, CHU de Montpellier, France 1984-1988
Research Fellow, in Medicine, Nephrology Division,
Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA,USA 1988-1990
PhD in Immunology and Molecular Biology,
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; and
Lecturer in Immunology 1990-1993
Consultant Nephrologist, Brazzaville’s
University Hospital, Congo-Brazzaville 1993-1997
Consultant Physician/Nephrologist
Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana 1997-2000
Principal Specialist/ Head of Nephrology
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital and 2001-2005
Kwazulu-Natal Dept of Health
Chief specialist, Head of Dept of Nephrology, Univ. KwaZulu-
Natal 2006-

Dr. Steven C. Brooks
Dr. Brooks is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston. His main research focus is cardiac arrest and resuscitation with a specific focus around technology solutions. He studies innovative ways to optimize the community response to cardiac arrest. Current projects include investigations into mobile applications to crowdsource basic life support for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims, the development of a miniaturized disposable AED, and the feasibility of a novel “neighbours saving neighbours” community first responder model. More recently, Dr. Brooks has taken a leadership role in the development of a national COVID-19 emergency department registry. Dr. Brooks is the Chair of the Science Subcommittee of the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Committee. Dr. Brooks has participated in the creation of international cardiac arrest guidelines for over two decades and continues to play a leadership role in synthesizing evidence to practice.
Mike Lukhozi
Mike Lukhozi is a medical officer in Clinical Forensic Medicine, and has appeared as an expert in the high court both for the state and defense. He is currently a PhD candidate looking at ethics in forensic medicine. He is passionate about the detection, prevention, and management of Gender Based Violence. He supervises one of the busiest medic-legal centers in Tshwane hat deal with sexual offenses and gender based violence.