Aspro. Mary Kawonga

Mary Kawonga is a public health scholar and health systems researcher based in Southern Africa, widely associated with the University of the Witwatersrand. Her work sits at the intersection of health policy, implementation science, and health systems strengthening, with a strong regional focus on South Africa and Zambia. She is recognized for advancing evidence-informed approaches to improving service delivery in resource-constrained settings.

Her recent research concentrates on human papillomavirus vaccination, examining barriers and facilitators to uptake through frameworks such as CFIR and the Health Belief Model. Through qualitative studies, scoping reviews, and stakeholder-engaged methods, she has generated actionable insights on tailoring implementation strategies, community engagement, and addressing misinformation to improve adolescent vaccination coverage.

Beyond immunization, her scholarship spans HIV and TB service integration, PMTCT programs, laboratory systems, migrant health, universal health coverage, and the use of data analytics in epidemic response. Across these domains, her work highlights governance gaps, workforce and infrastructure constraints, and policy–practice misalignments, contributing to stronger, context-sensitive health system interventions.