Prof Ziyaad Dangor

Ziyaad Dangor is a South African paediatric infectious diseases specialist and academic affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. His work focuses on infectious diseases affecting neonates and children in high-burden settings, with particular emphasis on vaccine-preventable illnesses, antimicrobial resistance, and child mortality surveillance.

His research spans respiratory viruses such as RSV and SARS-CoV-2, group B streptococcus immunology, influenza vaccine uptake, and severe bacterial infections including Klebsiella pneumoniae. He integrates clinical epidemiology, genomics, immunology, and postmortem surveillance to clarify pathogen-specific risks and inform vaccine development and policy.

Notable contributions include advancing understanding of maternal antibody protection in early infancy, characterizing invasive neonatal pathogens in Africa, and strengthening severity grading and mortality attribution frameworks. His scholarship supports evidence-based vaccination strategies, improved infection control, and targeted interventions to reduce under-five mortality in low- and middle-income countries.