Contributor

Anna Coutsoudis

Public health specialist

Anna Coutsoudis is a public health scientist who holds the post of Professor in the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. She has done extensive research on HIV and nutrition, and especially in breastfeeding and has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her research work has played an important role in the shaping of the WHO guidelines on HIV and Infant Feeding and she has been a member of several WHO committees and guideline groups. She recently served as president of the Technical Steering Committee of the WHO Child and Adolescent Health Unit. She is committed to improving maternal and child health in vulnerable communities through strategies that empower communities. In recognition of her contributions she was recently awarded the Science for Society Gold Medal award by the Academy of Science of South Africa.

She is founder and chairperson of iThemba Lethu (www.ithembalethu.org.za) an organization that works amongst children affected with HIV. Under the umbrella of iThemba Lethu, Prof Coutsoudis established the first community based breastmilk bank in South Africa specifically to provide donor breastmilk to AIDS orphans. She is collaborating with the Department of Health, to encourage the scale up of donor milk banking in South Africa.

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