Bhekumusa Lukhele

Bhekumusa Lukhele is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Organization at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Public Health, where he has held appointments since August 2022. He also serves as an Associate Scientist at the UAB School of Medicine's Center for AIDS Research and as Co-Director of the Master of Science in Global Health degree program. Additionally, he is a Sparkman Scholar at the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health and a member of the UAB Sparkman Center Interdepartmental Faculty Core in Global Health.

Dr. Lukhele earned his Doctor of Public Health in International/Global Studies from Kyoto University in 2017, along with an MPH from the same institution. He completed his Bachelor of Nursing Science at the University of Eswatini. Prior to his current position, he served as a Teaching Assistant and Researcher at Kyoto University between 2013 and 2017, and as a Voluntary Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

His research focuses on TB, HIV, and HPV prevention, with particular interest in serious games and mHealth interventions for adolescent and young adult populations in low- and middle-income countries. His work spans infectious disease epidemiology, global health implementation science, and innovative technology applications for health behavior change. He has developed and tested mobile serious games like SwaziYolo for HIV prevention and conducted community-based TB contact management programs in high-burden settings.

Dr. Lukhele's scholarly work demonstrates a consistent focus on improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations through evidence-based interventions. His research combines epidemiological methods with implementation science to address gaps in TB and HIV prevention and care, particularly for children, adolescents, and young adults in resource-limited settings. His recent work increasingly integrates digital health solutions with traditional public health approaches.

• Awarded for the outstanding role and participation in the Pharmacovigilance Africa Project (PAVIA)

Dr. Lukhele actively mentors students through thesis committees and teaches multiple courses including Introduction to Global Health, Global Communicable Disease, and Infectious Diseases of Global Health Significance. His professional service includes reviewing for major public health journals and membership in organizations including the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the American Public Health Association, and the International AIDS Society. Previously, he served on the Eswatini Human Health Research Review Board from 2014 to 2023.

His extensive field experience in Eswatini and Southern Africa informs both his research and teaching, bridging academic theory with practical implementation challenges in global health programming.