Ms. Thando Mbeje is a Cancer Registrar with the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Program (MLCCP) and serves as the Lead of the KwaZulu-Natal Population-Based Cancer Registry (KZN-PBCR). In this role, she oversees the establishment and operationalisation of population-based cancer surveillance systems in KwaZulu-Natal, with a focus on strengthening data quality, completeness, and adherence to international standards.
She is a Co-Convener of the Basics of Health Measurement (Descriptive Module) within the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health programme and serves as a Guest Lecturer on Disease Surveillance, with particular emphasis on cancer surveillance in South Africa. Her teaching and mentorship contributions support capacity building in epidemiology, registry science, and public health measurement.
Ms. Mbeje holds a Master of Medical Science degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). She has completed the IARC–Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) e-Learning Series offered through the World Health Organization Academy, earning certification as a Cancer Registrar. Her professional experience spans cancer registration, public health research, environmental health, energy and climate change, environmental impact assessment (EIA), project management, safety management, youth empowerment, and strategic communications. She has worked across industrial, community, non-governmental, and research sectors.
Currently a PhD candidate, her research focuses on improving cancer registry data quality and strengthening population-based cancer surveillance systems in KwaZulu-Natal to support high-quality research, evidence-based policy, and informed decision-making. Her broader interests include cancer risk factors and prevention, environmental health, and community awareness and empowerment initiatives
Publication:
Mbeje, N.P., Ginindza T.G., Jafta, N. Establishing and Evaluating Cancer Surveillance System in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cancer Informatics. 2021;20:1-11. doi:10.1177/11769351211029967.
Mbeje NP, Ginindza T, Jafta N. Epidemiological Study of Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(11):6752. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116752