PROFESSOR Bonga Chiliza has travelled the country to gain experience in the field of mental health.
Chiliza, a recipient of the Hamilton Naki Research Fellowship Award, has been appointed head of psychiatry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Chiliza, who works from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Umbilo, south of Durban, told Daily Sun he was settling in very well and was looking forward to the new challenges.
Chiliza said: “KZN is the second largest province in the country. It has lots of residents with different psychiatric needs.
“I think there are going to be a lot of challenges.
“My mission is to improve the provision of psychiatric services.
“Being at the university puts me in a better position to fulfil my mission, which is also one of the health department’s priorities. The university works closely with the provincial health department, so I am a member of their family too.”
He said he is passionate about improving mental health services and making sure residents get the help they need without travelling long distances.
Before he started working for the university, Chiliza served as an associate professor at Stellenbosch University. He was also a senior specialist psychiatrist at Tygerberg Hospital’s psychiatry department.
Chiliza was born in Pietermaritzburg, in the KZN midlands and grew up in Umlazi, south of Durban. He completed his PhD at Stellenbosch University and has written over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.
He has also served as a board member on a number of non-governmental organizations such as Life Choices and Harambee. His research interests include schizophrenia, health services and medical education.
