Dr Zolelwa Sifumba
Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Survivor
Global health activist and advocate
Speaker: Dr Zolelwa Sifumba (uMamBhele), is a young, passionate global health advocate and activist, who qualified as medical doctor at The University of Cape Town. After completing her years as junior doctor working in the public health system she worked as a clinical research fellow at AHRI in the field of TB research in Durban South Africa, with her research funded by the HBNU NIH Fogarty Global Health Fellowship and also went on to serve at a clinical trials unit as project manager at the WITS CHRU, supporting the recruitment and retention of study participants, as well as stakeholder management in Gauteng, South Africa.
Presentation: Having survived near death, including a car wreck after a 36-hour work shift and contracting Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis as a medical student due to occupational exposure and the inadequate protection of essential workers, a problem plaguing front line health workers and students globally; Sifumba left clinical medicine due to poor support, experienced and witnessed, provided for health students and workers globally. Sifumba took to the global stage while struggling through a gruelling treatment process as an activist and advocate, sharing her story with the world, contributing to the global fight against TB.
Her passion lies in advocating for and assisting with the provision of tangible support systems for health care students and workers globally; a message she will be taking with her to the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, UK, where she will be attending as a plenary speaker. Her story tells an important and timely message around the themes of pain, courage, expression and support; narrating her pain, the courage required for her to express her pain and the support that came of that, leading finally to her own healing.