Thenjiwe is a Public Health, Gender, and Health Financing Expert with 17 years of demonstrated leadership in health systems strengthening, national policy development, research, and strategic program delivery across Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa. Her work sits at the intersection of public health systems, gender equality, financing, and digital innovation, with a strong track record in leading the development of National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs), strengthening surveillance and accountability systems, and supporting governments and partners to translate evidence into policy and impact.
She brings deep expertise in health and gender financing, including resource mobilization, investment case development, and alignment of financing mechanisms with Universal Health Coverage and Gender-transformative outcomes. Increasingly, her work currently integrates the development and application of AI-enabled infrastructure to support social accountability, gender equity, health surveillance, program management, and real-time decision-making, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
Alongside her technical leadership, Thenjiwe also provide gender equality advisory services, executive coaching, and mentorship – supporting institutions and leaders to embed gender responsiveness, accountability, and sustainability into health systems and programs. She has worked in multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and multicultural environments, collaborating on-site and remotely with governments, UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, research institutions, and civil society organizations.
Selected Highlights
- Led the development and strengthening of national public health institutes and gender & health strategies
- Supported governments to design, finance, and implement resilient health systems
- Supported development of Advanced AI-enabled approaches for surveillance, accountability, and program performance management
- Drove strategic partnerships and resource mobilization at national and regional levels
With a strong delivery record and a commitment to transformative, evidence-based leadership, she focuses on building equitable, accountable, and sustainable health systems that deliver measurable results.