Dr Laetitia Rispel
Executive Director of the Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health Research Program at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa, she has studied at universities in South Africa, the Unites States and the United Kingdom, and holds a Doctorate in Health Systems from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has extensive health research experience, including more than 8 years as a senior researcher at the Centre for Health Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She is currently the principal investigator of a large Centre for Disease Control (CDC)/ PEPFAR funded Programme to Improve Capacity of an Indigenous Statutory Institution to Enhance Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of South Africa. Her research interests and current projects focus on HIV and AIDS, health systems, public health and social determinants of health and gender. Before joining the HSRC in March 2006, Dr Rispel was the Head of the Health Department (the equivalent of the director-general) in Gauteng Province, South Africa, for five years. She serves on the board of another non-profit organization: the Smile Foundation in South Africa.
Dr Laetitia Rispel was the 2003 health category winner of the South African Shoprite/Checkers/SABC2 woman of the year award, in recognition of her health leadership and activism.
Appointed to the Board in October, 2006:
Residence: South Africa