Salome Maswime elected to lead WHO’s collaborating centre
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Salome Maswime has been selected to lead the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Integrated Clinical Care, which will be based at UCT and will support countries pivot their health systems towards universal health coverage.
Professor Maswime is the head of UCT’s Division of Global Surgery in the Faculty of Health Sciences. As the centre’s director, she will ensure that it delivers on its mandate: to prioritise effective organisation, planning and patient movement across health systems, to ensure timeous access to quality care that aligns with users’ needs.
She said she is excited about the appointment and noted that the WHO’s decision to partner with UCT stems from the division’s commitment to advancing health equity, particularly in Africa. Maswime will be supported at the helm by deputy director, Associate Professor Willem Stassen, from UCT’s Division of Emergency Medicine.