Dr Gloria Maimela is the Director of Climate and Health at Wits RHI. She is a medical doctor with extensive experience in paediatric and adult TB management, as well as HIV treatment and prevention. Dr Maimela provides strategic oversight and technical direction in the implementation of the following PEPFAR-funded programmes: Gophelega HIV Care and Treatment programme in the Tshwane and Ekurhuleni districts (funded through the Centre of Disease Control Agency), Accelerating Programme Achievements to Control the Epidemic (APACE) in Lejweleputswa, Free State, and the Key Populations programme. The latter two programmes are funded through USAID.
The key objective of these programmes is to reach HIV epidemic control in South Africa by 2030 through the provision of HIV prevention, care and treatment services to vulnerable and key populations. Dr Maimela leads a team of over 900 Wits RHI staff members across these programmes. She is a published local and international speaker. She is currently a Wits PhD candidate and is the principal investigator on several research projects.
She is a member of the Dira Sengwe Board and is Chairperson of the South African AIDS Conference 2023. She is also a member of the Africa Telehealth Collaboration Steering Committee, which seeks to address barriers to the expansion of telehealth in South Africa and the rest of the African region.