Traditional Medicine

BIOSKETCH
Prof Nceba Gqaleni has 25 years strategic leadership, academic management, teaching and research experience and have been Deputy Dean of the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. Successfully supervised 7 postdocs, 15 PhDs, and 23 masters’ students. Published about 85 journal articles, chapters in books and peer reviewed conference proceedings. Raised more than ZAR250m (US$14m) in research grants and infrastructure for the development of the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute and Traditional Medicine Laboratory at UKZN. He has been a member of the Presidential Task Team on African Traditional Medicine, the WHO (African Regional Office) expert committee on Traditional Medicine, and Inaugural Interim Traditional Health Practitioners Council of South Africa.

He is among 20 best authors in the world selected by an international committee of experts composed of the Inter-Academy Medical Panel member academies and other renowned international scholars; on integration of traditional medical practices into ‘mainstream’ medical care. Currently, he is the member of the task team drafting SA’s Policy on African Traditional Medicine, Project leader of the KwaZulu-Natal IK-Based Healthy Lifestyle Strategy to fight COVID-19 and beyond, and member of the WHO Regional Expert Committee on Traditional Medicine for COVID-19.