Hello from our new Director, Associate Professor Wiedaad Slemming

I am excited and honoured to join the Children’s Institute (CI) as its new Director from April 2023. The CI is an esteemed institution that occupies a unique space in South Africa, and contributes significantly to research, advocacy, technical advisory work, and education to realise children’s rights and build a better society for all children.

I am a health professional, academic and researcher with more than 20 years of experience working clinically as a paediatric physiotherapist, developing policies and programmes, and planning and managing projects, programmes and services in a variety of settings in South Africa, England, and Wales.

I have experience in research, undergraduate and postgraduate health sciences education, and technical advisory work in the field of maternal and child health. My particular areas of expertise and research include maternal and child health and nutrition, early childhood development (ECD), child disability, and health systems strengthening. I also currently serve on international and national technical and advisory committees in these fields.

I look forward to working with the accomplished team of researchers and advocates at the CI as we strengthen its work and build toward a broader vision of being a regional centre of excellence for interdisciplinary, child-centred research, advocacy and teaching. Further, ensuring that the work of the CI is rooted in the African continent and that we remain proactively engaged in addressing the many challenges facing children and young people in South Africa and on the continent.

Best regards,
Associate Professor Wiedaad Slemming