With a Doctoral degree in mental health, a diploma in clinical research and advanced certificates in health management and health systems, I have over 30 years' experience in health policy development, human resources for health and health sciences academia, among them in government advisory boards and committees and health systems reform. This experience includes being the former Regional Director for Africa of the International Council for Science (now International Science Council), in which capacity I managed science activities across the African continent, coordination consortia and raising funding locally and internationally for such activities. Spheres of this role included health and well-being, hazards and disasters, sustainable energy and global environmental change. I was part of the co-creation of Future Earth and worked with a number of international partners in this regard. I have since 2011 been active in the African Forum for Sustainable Development through UNECA, currently serving as a steering committee member for the Africa Regional Mechanism of the (MGoS) set up through a collaboration UNECA, AU and the African Development Bank (AfDB), and I participate actively in the annual African Regional Forums for Sustainable Development (ARFSD) and the annual High Level Political Forum (HLPF), held at UN headquarters in New York. I am currently Senior Lecturer and researcher at the University of Pretoria with post-graduate student supervisions and research facilitation at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.