Olive Shisana

Olive Shisana "is executive director of the South African national research program on Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health at the Human Sciences Research Council. She was previously professor of health systems at the National School of Public Health, Medical University of Southern Africa, where she was a leading founder of a post-graduate diploma on the management of HIV/AIDS in the world of work, launched by the South African deputy president in 2001. Prior to that, Dr. Shisana served as executive director of Family and Community Health at the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. In that position, she established the HIV/AIDS initiative and became a founding member of the Partnership on AIDS in Africa. From 1995 to 1998, Dr. Shisana was director general of the South African Department of Health. She is a member of the Nelson Mandela Advisory Board on HIV/AIDS. She received an M.A. in clinical psychology from Loyola College, Baltimore, and a doctorate in social epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA."

"Dr Olive Shisana was the first woman and the first black woman to be appointed as President and CEO of the Human Sciences Research Council on 1 August 2005."