Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela

Assistant Director-General for Family, Women, Children and Adolescents, WHO

Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela, from South Africa, has been appointed Assistant Director-General for Family, Women, Children and Adolescents at WHO. Dr Simelela has more than 30 years of experience as an obstetrician, academic, advocate and government official. Most recently, she served as Special Advisor to the Vice President of the Republic of South Africa where her work spanned supporting the implementation of the country’s National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections to reviewing the country’s Expanded Public Works Program.

Her other senior leadership roles in South Africa have included serving as Chief Executive Officer of the South African National AIDS Council, Director of Technical Knowledge and Support for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and Cluster Manager for HIV, TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections for the South African Department of Health. She has also sat on a number of committees and boards, including the Executive Board of the WHO, representing IPPF from 2004 to 2009 and the WHO technical committee for the development of guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.