Francisca Mutapi

Activist, Artist, Brainstormer, Educator/Teacher, Parent, Philanthropist, Scientist, Writer/Editor

I am an award-winning international Global Health Researcher and Leader based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I focus on infectious diseases, especially neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). I was the first black African woman appointed to a professorship in Scotland. I conduct and leads basic scientific research that has had an extraordinary impact on the policy, practice and implementation control measures against infectious. I have contributed to shaping national and global NTD policies by working closely with the WHO, African Union, and local governments in affected countries, impacting millions of lives. My work on paediatric schistosomiasis (bilharzia) made a major contribution to the WHO recommending screening and treatment of pre-school children in 2012 giving access to treatment to approx. 50 million children across Africa. I have received several awards for the impact of my work in bilharzia including the David Livingstone Medal from the Glasgow Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. My research on COVID-19 contributed to hospital infection control policy in Zimbabwe and I am a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Post Covid-19 Futures Commission established to support Scotland in emerging as positively as it can from the current pandemic. I am helping shape research and training in Africa through independent advisory boards. I sit on several advisory bodies including; the WHO Africa Regional Director’s Advisory Board; the UK Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (formerly DFID) Science Advisory Group; the UK Research, and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund Strategic Advisory Group; the board of Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases; Wellcome Trust Global Monitor External Advisory Board and; Royal Society/African Academy of Science Future Leaders – African Independent Researchers Fellowships steering committee. I am a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. I was a founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland. I am also a 2021 Aspen New Voices Fellow. I am also an accomplished visual artist ( see details on section ‘People don’t know I am good at’) and have just embarked on an additional career as a nonfiction author. I am the founding director of Mwenje Wedu Trust whose aim is to enable children and youth in Zimbabwe to reach their full potential through providing scholarships, training, social enterprise and creating an enabling learning environment.

1) Self-sufficiency 2) Ordinary people achieving extraordinary things 3) Education opening doors 4) Excellence- the work speaking for itself

The burden of infectious diseases in Africa is huge and mostly unnecessary. It’s time stakeholders took down barriers to allow Africans to solve our own health problems

Development research, Epidemiology, Global Health, Infectious diseases, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Parasitology, Visual Art

Still evolving- only to say, I was selected as a TED Fellow at my 2nd go because I don't believe in giving up.

Art and Writing. I am a practicing visual artist who has been painting and exhibiting works for over 30 years in Africa and the UK. Showings have included group and solo exhibitions, for example in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Commissions have been undertaken for clients in Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and the UK and artwork has been used for posters, corporate calendars and book covers. I call Europe and Africa home and the subjects of my artwork come from these two continents. Africa inspires vibrant colours while Europe gives exciting light patterns in my paintings. I am particularly interested in pattern and form in nature and expressed these in figurative, naive and abstract approaches. I am also a nonfiction author whose work looks at themes of belonging, cultural inheritance and hybridity, and the value of heritage. I am represented by Undeline Literary Agency in Scotland.