Winnie Mkandawire

SANC-registered Professional Nurse

Talent

MidrandMember since October 14, 2026

NIMARTNational ART GuidelinesQI cyclesSIMS audits

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NIMARTNational ART GuidelinesQI cyclesSIMS audits

About

SANC-registered Professional Nurse and MPhil graduate with over 20 years of experience in clinical care, TB/HIV surveillance, and Primary Health Care (PHC) management. Expert in NIMART, APC, and IMCI protocols. Proven track record in Integrated Chronic Disease Management (ICDM) and Quality Improvement. Dedicated to treating patients with dignity and providing holistic healthcare in high-burden settings.

Experience

Project Manager - Mother, Neonate, Child, Women & Adolescent Health (MNCWAH) - Wits Reproductive Health Institute (WRHI)

(2022-01 - 2024-04)

Directed district-wide implementation of integrated HIV/TB and Maternal-Child health programs, ensuring 100% alignment with donor frameworks.
Pioneered the scale-up of Vertical Transmission Prevention (VTP) by leveraging community health structures to reach high-risk populations.
Optimized service delivery through data-driven Quality Improvement (QI) cycles, directly improving clinical outcomes in maternal health.
Cultivated high-level partnerships with Department of Health (DoH) stakeholders, serving as the lead technical advisor for district performance reviews.
Led capacity building and supportive supervision systems for district and facility teams through coaching and mentoring, fostering local ownership and ensuring high-fidelity implementation of clinical guidelines.
Served as a key technical representative and stakeholder liaison in provincial and district maternal & child health performance review meetings, advising on strategy to address systemic challenges.
Assisted in development and procurement of IEC material for the MNCWAH programme including prevention.
Involved with project deliverables and reporting, developing workplans, reviewing financial and programmatic reports, and ensuring all activities met donor and other stakeholders’ targets and timelines.

Clinical Nurse Mentor & Technical Lead - Aurum Health Institute

(2016-07 - 2020-12)

Managed clinical outcomes across 32 healthcare facilities, overseeing the performance and professional development of a large multidisciplinary team.
Transformed workforce capacity by implementing a mentoring model that achieved an 87.9% clinical competency rate for staff in high-pressure PHC settings.
Enforced stringent Quality Assurance protocols, preparing facilities for SIMS audits and ensuring 100% adherence to national care standards.
Championed the use of real-time data analysis to identify and close service gaps, specifically in paediatrics HIV case-finding.
Forged strategic collaborative partnerships with CBOs and Department of Health teams to strengthen community-facility linkages for HIV testing and treatment, with a focus on index testing for children and partners.
Facilitated and supported QI projects, documentation of good practices and lessons learnt for future improvement of programs, as well as assisted with writing QI project abstracts for presentation at district and provincial forums.
Participated in internal and external stakeholder meetings.
Wrote and submitted timeous reports on programme-defined indicators and activities required by relevant stakeholders.

National HIV Coordinator - Life Occupational Health (LOH)- Contracted to Scaw Metal Group - [Transferred to Prime Cure Health (Net-Care) from 1stNovember 2014, under section 193, SA Labou

(2010-05 - 2016-01)

Directed the national strategy and coordination of the comprehensive HIV, STI, and TB workplace programme across 10 company sites, overseeing all technical, operational, and supply chain components.
Pioneered health promotion and rights-based initiatives in collaboration with civil society organizations, significantly increasing HIV testing, ART linkage, and retention in care among employees.
Managed program budget and resources, including procurement of test kits and pharmaceuticals, ensuring cost-effective use of funds and uninterrupted service provision.
Managed programme quality assurance and compliance, ensuring all clinical activities and confidential data management met stringent national and corporate standards.
Provided ongoing support, on-site training and mentoring to data capturers, non-clinical healthcare workers and nursing staff at all Scaw company clinics. Also empowered the company’s peer educators and HIV committee members.
Prepared reports & disseminated to relevant stakeholders.

HIV Case Manager - Discovery Health Medical Aid

(2006-10 - 2009-09)

Supported doctors and the scheme’s members living with HIV telephonically, approved ARV treatment and pathology tests as per set protocols of Discovery Health and by the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guidelines.

Night Matron - Sandringham Gardens Home for the Aged, Johannesburg - Johannesburg

(2004-05 - 2006-02)

Performed general administrative tasks and supervised different categories of healthcare workers per shift.
Led and supervised 32 clinical and non-clinical staff per shift nursing in 14 wards at Sandringham Gardens.
Attended to general, patient and staff challenges/problems that occurred at night.
Ensured that all the elderly clients received the quality care they needed.
Ordered, administered and controlled medicines at night.

Night Nursing Sister In-charge - Rosendal Retirement Centre, Pretoria - Pretoria

(1998-01 - 2004-04)

Performed general administrative tasks and supervised different categories of healthcare workers per shift.
Attended to general, patient and staff challenges/problems that occurred at night.
Ensured that all the elderly clients received the quality care they needed.
Ordered, administered and controlled medicines at night.

Professional Nurse – Night Shift Ward Leader - Louis Pasteur Hospital, Pretoria - Pretoria

(1996-01 - 1997-12)

Performed general nursing duties in medical, surgical, gynaecology and psychiatric wards, ensuring patients received quality care and treatment.

Frail Care Sister In-charge - Glen Haven and Nazareth House, Pretoria - Pretoria

(1991-04 - 1995-12)

Performed supervisory tasks and general nursing care to the elderly residents, promoting their well-being.

Professional Nurse - Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria - Pretoria

(1990-06 - 1991-03)

Worked in cardio-thoracic and paediatric wards performing general nursing care duties.

Ward Sister & later Community Head Nurse - Blantyre Adventist & Malamulo Hospitals, Malawi - Malawi

(1983-01 - 1990-01)

Performed ward administrative tasks and general nursing care duties.
Conducted mobile ante-natal & under-five services in rural areas, plus nutrition & gardening education to mothers.
Assisted with training and mentoring of enrolled nursing and medical assistant students.

Wellness Nurse (Locum) - W.H.I.P.S. (Wellness Health Insurance Pathology Services (SA)

(2024-08)

Conduct clients’ medical assessments for medical aid and insurance purposes.
Render wellness and pathology services to clients.

Facility Team Lead (Fixed term Contract) - Aurum Health Institute - Ekurhuleni East

(2021-07 - 2021-12)

Rendered direct service delivery to HIV adult and paediatric clients at a PHC facility in Ekurhuleni East.
Supported the Facility Manager in tracking performance against daily targets for HIV and TB case-finding, treatment linkage, and retention in care. Also worked with and supported junior Aurum staff including data capturers.

Locum Professional NIMART Nurse - Witkoppen Health &Welfare Centre / Clinic

(2016-01 - 2016-04)

Rendered clinical PMTCT services in the Ante-natal and Mother & Child units and documented activities done.

Locum Wellness Nurse - Occupational Care South Africa (OCSA); AIDS for AIDS, Jhpiego and Right to Care

(2004-08 - 2010-04)

Conducted HIV counselling and testing for different clients at assigned sites.
Kept accurate record keeping and protected confidential client documents. Ensured quality control of test kits.