Paediatrics Professor Appointed Deputy Dean of Clinical Medicine Division

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Medical School alumnus Professor Kimesh Naidoo has been appointed Deputy Dean of the School of Medicine’s (SOM) Division of Clinical Medicine in the College of Health Sciences (CHS).

Applauded by the Dean and Head of the School of Medicine, Professor Refiloe Masekela, and peers within the medical fraternity, Naidoo said, “I am humbled and honoured to serve my alma mater”.

Naidoo completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate training in paediatrics at UKZN, qualifying in 1998. Since 2002, he has served as Head of the Clinical Unit in Paediatrics, initially at the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospital Complex (Greys Hospital) from 2002 to 2007, and subsequently at Victoria Mxenge Hospital from 2007 to the present.

Naidoo has held various leadership roles in healthcare at both provincial and national levels, particularly within paediatric and HIV care. Notably, he was actively involved in the rollout of South Africa’s Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and HIV treatment programmes. Over the years, he has also been a dedicated advocate for children living with HIV, serving on numerous advocacy initiatives, boards, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

An accomplished researcher, Naidoo focuses on paediatrics and paediatric HIV care, collaborating on various clinical trials with the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His work is extensively published (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kimesh_Naidoo; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4940-0534) and in addition to his research he serves as a reviewer for multiple national and international journals and as an associate editor for several South African medical journals.

His academic credentials include a specialist paediatric qualification, a Doctorate in Paediatrics, and advanced diplomas in Child Health, Business Management, and Health Professional Education and Leadership.

Currently, Naidoo balances his responsibilities as a lead clinician with his academic role as an Associate Professor at UKZN’s SOM.

Committed to advancing medical education, he completed a fellowship with the South African FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) and is an active member of the South African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE).

For over 20 years, Naidoo has been deeply involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, training, and assessment. He has successfully supervised and graduated numerous postgraduate students and further contributes to national and international curriculum development and examination, serving on multiple educational committees within UKZN’s SOM, CHS, the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Widely recognised for his contributions, Naidoo has received multiple honours and awards for his clinical and educational excellence. He has also convened numerous local and national paediatric and educational conferences during which he regularly presents his research to international audiences.

Words: Lunga Memela

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini