Laetitia Rispel


Laetitia Charmaine Rispel is a South African Professor of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand. Rispel's work has investigated health policy and management and health services research.

Career and impact

Rispel has served consecutively as the head of the Gauteng Department of Health, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa HIV/AIDS research program and the University of the Witwatersrand School of Public Health. From 2008 - 2014 she was the president of the Public Health Association of South Africa.
She holds the National Research Foundation of South Africa Research Chair on Health Workforce for Equity, and Quality and in 2016 she was elected as vice-president/president elect of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Rispel has served as the President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations since 2018, and she is the first African woman to hold this position. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Awards and honors

  • Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Women of the Year award - Health Category,