Prof Mosa Moshabela
Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation

Professor Mosa Moshabela currently holds the position of Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He was until December 2020, the Dean and Head of School of Nursing and Public Health in the College of Health Sciences. He is a chief medical specialist, having trained as a medical practitioner (MBChB), and specialized in Family Medicine and Primary Health Care (M Fam. Med). He further completed a Masters in Demography and Health (MSc), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the field of Public Health, with a specific focus on health systems and policy research. He is Adjunct Faculty and a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at the Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa. His research portfolio in implementation science and health systems research cuts across multiple disciplines, and involves the design, implementation and evaluation of complex interventions in public healthcare services and programmes, and seeks to improve access, quality and equity in healthcare, in ways appropriate for resource-poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although his work is largely grounded in HIV and TB research, he is a Family Physician, and a generalist primary healthcare practitioner. He is currently leading a team to establish a new research institute focused on research for societal impact, the Institute of People-centred Health. Recently, he was convener of the COVID-19 response team at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and advisor to the Department of Health, provincially through the ‘War Room’ for COVID-19 in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, and nationally through the technical working group of the Ministerial Advisory Committee. Further, he is currently the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health in the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), and chairperson of a sub-committee to evaluate and report on the national Health sector response to COVID-19 in South Africa. Internationally, he is a member (2018-2020) of the Lancet Commission on Synergies between Health Promotion, Universal Health Coverage and Global Health Security, and US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine commission member on Human Resources for Health in Rwanda (2018-2020) and the Global Roadmap towards Healthy Longevity (2019-2021) commissions.
Contact Details
- +27 (0)31 260 1736
- Moshabela@ukzn.ac.za
- @MoshabelaMosa
- Research Gate Profile: Click Here
- PubMed Publications: Click Here
Publications
Jacobs C, Michelo C, Chola M, Oliphant N, Halwiindi H, Maswenyeho S, Baboo KS, Moshabela M. Evaluation of a community-based intervention to improve maternal and neonatal health service coverage in the most rural and remote districts of Zambia. PloS one. 2018 Jan 16;13(1):e0190145.
Zuma T, Wight D, Rochat T, Moshabela M. Navigating Multiple Sources of Healing in the Context of HIV/AIDS and Wide Availability of Antiretroviral Treatment: A Qualitative Study of Community Participants’ Perceptions and Experiences in Rural South Africa. Frontiers in public health. 2018 Mar 12;6:73.
Hontelez J, Bor J, Tanser F, Pillay D, Moshabela M, Bӓrnighausen T. HIV treatment substantially decreases hospitalization rates: causal evidence from rural South Africa. Health Affairs, 2018 (In Press)
Lawrence, C. Mhlaba, T. Stewart, KA. Moletsane, R. Gaede, B. Moshabela, M. (2017) The Hidden Curriculum of Medical Education: A Scoping Review, Academic Medicine (online only)
Cox H, Dickson-Hall L, Jassat W, Moshabela M, Kielmann K, Grant A, Nicol M, Black J, Mlisana K, Vanleeuw L, Loveday M. Drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: history, progress and opportunities for achieving universal access to diagnosis and effective treatment. South African Health Review. 2017;2017(1):157-67.
Zuma T, Wight D, Rochat T, Moshabela M. Traditional health practitioners’ management of HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa in the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy. Global health action. 2017 Jan 1;10(1):1352210.h African Health Review. 2017;2017(1):157-67.
Harichund C, Moshabela M. Acceptability of HIV Self-Testing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Study. AIDS and Behavior. 2018 Feb 1;22(2):560-8.
Ondenge K, Renju J, Bonnington O, Moshabela M, Wamoyi J, Nyamukapa C, Seeley J, Wringe A, Skovdal M. ‘I am treated well if I adhere to my HIV medication’: putting patient–provider interactions in context through insights from qualitative research in five sub-Saharan African countries. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jul 1;93(Suppl 3):e052973.
Wringe A, Renju J, Seeley J, Moshabela M, Skovdal M. Bottlenecks to HIV care and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country qualitative study.
Wringe A, Moshabela M, Nyamukapa C, Bukenya D, Ondenge K, Ddaaki W, Wamoyi J, Seeley J, Church K, Zaba B, Hosegood V. HIV testing experiences and their implications for patient engagement with HIV care and treatment on the eve of ‘test and treat’: findings from a multicountry qualitative study. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jul 1;93(Suppl 3):e052969.
Skovdal M, Wringe A, Seeley J, Renju J, Paparini S, Wamoyi J, Moshabela M, Ddaaki W, Nyamukapa C, Ondenge K, Bernays S. Using theories of practice to understand HIV-positive persons varied engagement with HIV services: a qualitative study in six sub-Saharan african countries. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jul 1;93(Suppl 3):e052977.
Moshabela M, Bukenya D, Darong G, Wamoyi J, Zuma T, Renju J, Nyamukapa C, Ddaaki W, Bonnington O, Seeley J, Hoosegood V. Promise or Peril? The nature of medical pluralism along the cascade of care for HIV/AIDS in eastern and southern Africa. InJOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY 2016 Jul 1 (Vol. 19). AVENUE DE FRANCE 23, GENEVA, 1202, SWITZERLAND: INT AIDS SOCIETY.
Wamoyi J, Renju J, Moshabela M, McLean E, Nyato D, Mbata D, Bonnington O, Seeley J, Church K, Zaba B, Wringe A. Understanding the relationship between couple dynamics and engagement with HIV care services: insights from a qualitative study in Eastern and Southern Africa. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jul 1;93(Suppl 3):e052976.
Bukenya D, Wringe A, Moshabela M, Skovdal M, Ssekubugu R, Paparini S, Renju J, McLean E, Bonnington O, Wamoyi J, Seeley J. Where are we now? A multicountry qualitative study to explore access to pre-antiretroviral care services: a precursor to antiretroviral therapy initiation. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jun 14:sextrans-2016.
Renju J, Moshabela M, McLean E, Ddaaki W, Skovdal M, Odongo F, Bukenya D, Wamoyi J, Bonnington O, Seeley J, Zaba B. ‘Side effects’ are’central effects’ that challenge retention on antiretroviral therapy in HIV treatment programmes in six sub-Saharan African countries: A multi-country qualitative study. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2017;93(Supplement 3):1-5.
Bonnington O, Wamoyi J, Ddaaki W, Bukenya D, Ondenge K, Skovdal M, Renju J, Moshabela M, Wringe A. Changing forms of HIV-related stigma along the HIV care and treatment continuum in sub-Saharan Africa: a temporal analysis. Sex Transm Infect. 2017 Jul 1;93(Suppl 3):e052975.
Hughes BO, Moshabela M, Owen J, Gaede B. The relevance and role of homestays in medical education: a scoping study. Medical education online. 2017 Jan 1;22(1):1320185.
15. Landiwe Khuzwayo, Mosa Moshabela. The perceived role of ward-based primary healthcare outreach teams in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Primary Health Care and Family Medicine 2017; 9(1)
Jacobs C, Moshabela M, Maswenyeho S, Lambo N, Michelo C. Predictors of antenatal care, skilled Birth attendance, and Postnatal care Utilization among the remote and Poorest rural communities of Zambia: a Multilevel analysis. Frontiers in public health. 2017 Feb 9;5:11.
Zuma T, Wight D, Rochat T, Moshabela M. The role of traditional health practitioners in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: generic or mode specific?. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. 2016 Dec;16(1):304.
Moshabela M, Zuma T, Gaede B. Bridging the gap between biomedical and traditional health practitioners in South Africa. South African health review. 2016 Jan 1;2016(1):83-92.
Moshabela M, Zuma T, Orne-Gliemann J, Iwuji C, Larmarange J, McGrath N, ANRS 12249 TasP Study Group. “It is better to die”: experiences of traditional health practitioners within the HIV treatment as prevention trial communities in rural South Africa (ANRS 12249 TasP trial). AIDS care. 2016 Jun 2;28(sup3):24-32.
Zissette S, Watt MH, Prose NS, Mntambo N, Moshabela M. “If you don’t take a stand for your life, who will help you?”: Men’s engagement in HIV care in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Psychology of men & masculinity. 2016 Jul;17(3):265.
Robinson N, Moshabela M, Owusu-Ansah L, Kapungu C, Geller S. Barriers to intrauterine device uptake in a rural setting in Ghana. Health care for women international. 2016 Feb 1;37(2):197-215.
Moshabela M, Sips I, Barten F. Needs assessment for home-based care and the strengthening of social support networks: the role of community care workers in rural South Africa. Global health action. 2015 Dec 1;8(1):29265.
Nanne I, Moshabela M, Huynh U, Diop PM. When development breeds contempt: case examples of community-driven health systems initiatives. Development in Practice. 2015 Nov 17;25(8):1120-30.
Mlotshwa L, Harris B, Schneider H, Moshabela M. Exploring the perceptions and experiences of community health workers using role identity theory. Global health action. 2015 Dec 1;8(1):28045.
Birch S, Govender V, Fried J, Eyles J, Daries V, Moshabela M, Cleary S. Does treatment collection and observation each day keep the patient away? An analysis of the determinants of adherence among patients with Tuberculosis in South Africa. Health policy and planning. 2015 Sep 16;31(4):454-61.
Fried J, Harris B, Eyles J, Moshabela M. Acceptable care? Illness constructions, healthworlds, and accessible chronic treatment in South Africa. Qualitative health research. 2015 May;25(5):622-35.
Moshabela M, Sene M, Nanne I, Tankoano Y, Schaefer J, Niang O, Sachs SE. Early detection of maternal deaths in Senegal through household-based death notification integrating verbal and social autopsy: a community-level case study. BMC health services research. 2015 Dec;15(1):16.
Becker E, Kuo C, Operario D, Moshabela M, Cluver L. Measuring child awareness for adult symptomatic HIV using a verbal assessment tool: concordance between adult–child dyads on adult HIV-associated symptoms and illnesses. Sex Transm Infect. 2015 Nov 1;91(7):528-33.
Pantelic M, Cluver L, Boyes M, Toska E, Kuo C, Moshabela M. Medical pluralism predicts non-ART use among parents in need of ART: a community survey in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AIDS and Behavior. 2015 Jan 1;19(1):137-44.