Tawanda Makusha

I am an NRF-rated Social and Public Health Specialist, employed by the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) as a Senior Research Associate. Before joining AHRI, I was a Chief Research Specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). I hold a PhD in Gender Education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. My major contributions are within fatherhood research, mainly focusing on masculinities, fatherhood, and male involvement in maternal and child health in the first 1000 days; early childhood development; and the impact of poverty and HIV and AIDS on children and families. Of great importance and relevance to the field of fatherhood in South Africa, I am the co-editor of the three State of South Africa’s Fathers Reports 2018, 2021, and 2024.