Tshepiso Mbangiwa

Tshepiso Mbangiwa is a postdoctoral fellow specializing in Implementation Science and Maternal and Child Health. She earned an MPhil in Medical Sciences from the University of Botswana, where she conducted epidemiological studies on the prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in pregnant women and their infants, focusing on the potential vertical transmission of HBV during pregnancy. Tshepiso then completed a PhD in Clinical Sciences and Immunology from the University of Cape Town, where her research centered on developing qPCR diagnostics for cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-positive patients in selected sub-Saharan countries.

In her postdoctoral research with the Vaccines for Africa Initiative (VACFA) at the University of Cape Town, Tshepiso is expanding her focus on maternal and child health. She is evaluating the implementation of the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine rollout among pregnant women and 6- and 12-year-old children in the Western Cape, South Africa. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. Her research will investigate the enablers and barriers to Tdap implementation, determine Tdap coverage, assess the impact of Tdap on pertussis cases in the Western Cape, and conduct an economic evaluation of the Tdap rollout.