Dr. Semakaleng Hyacinth Phafoli, RN, PhD (Lesotho)

Dr. Phafoli is a Ph. D prepared nurse-midwife, nurse-educator and Qualitative Researcher who has worked for more than 14 years in public academic institutions in Lesotho, training health care professionals. From 2007 to date, she transitioned from public to private sector where she has worked with different organizations like; Population Services International, Irish Aid Lesotho; Millennium Challenge Account Lesotho funded HSS project and Jhpiego. Her major focus has been on research, capacity building, leadership and health systems strengthening (HSS). In July 2019, she participated in data collection and reporting for the WHO first State of the World Nursing Report. Since 2020 Dr. Phafoli has been working for EGPAF Lesotho where she is currently holding a position of a Director HSS and sustainability. 

She has published several articles in different journals and presented in different conferences nationally, regionally and internationally. In 2017, she received an award as a Heroine of health at the 70th World Health Assembly. She was the president of the Lesotho Nurses Association (LNA) from 2016-2019 and in 2022 supported establishment of the Lesotho Retired Nurses and Midwives Chapter of LNA. She is a Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) fellow since 2018 and was engaged by ICN to co-facilitate in the 2019 GNLI residency program and in 2020 was engaged as one of the GNLI regional co-facilitators. Dr. Phafoli is also a CGFNS – Certified Global Nurse Consultant. She was engaged by LNA as a Principal Investigator for the study on the State of the Nursing and Midwifery in Lesotho, which was financially supported by the World Health Organization.