UKZN Fellow and Professor a Trailblazer in Antimicrobial Resistance

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Professor Sabiha Essack has been inducted as a UKZN Fellow in recognition of her outstanding and sustained contributions to research, innovation and capacity development in the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

This honour is among the University’s highest accolades bestowed on scholars who have demonstrated exceptional academic and professional distinction. Essack, South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Antibiotic Resistance and One Health, and Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UKZN and Honorary Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Jordan, has carved an illustrious path as a globally recognised authority on antibiotic resistance. Her research, advocacy and leadership have significantly influenced policy and practice locally, regionally and internationally. 

Her induction as a UKZN Fellow took place during the University’s 2025 Autumn Graduation ceremonies. 

With a career spanning more than three decades, Essack’s journey began with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1988. After practising as a hospital pharmacist for three years, she returned to academia to pursue her master’s and PhD degrees, during which time she was awarded a prestigious Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship to undertake research training in the United Kingdom. On her return, she established the Antimicrobial Research Unit at UKZN - now one of Africa’s leading research hubs on AMR. 

Her pioneering research integrates human, animal and environmental health through a One Health lens, addressing surveillance, resistance mechanisms, infection control and policy reform. Her SARChI Chair has not only produced ground-breaking findings, such as the Alternate AMR Monitoring System (ALARMS) and Alternate Antimicrobial Use (AMU) Monitoring System (AlAUMS) initiatives, which explore wastewater as a proxy for community-level AMR and AMU surveillance, but has also informed global health policy, culminating in her participation in key international forums including the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR. 

Essack’s influence extends far beyond the laboratory. She co-chairs the Quadripartite Technical Group on Integrated Surveillance for AMR, advises the World Health Organization (WHO), and supports implementation research at the International Centre for AMR Solutions (ICARS) in Denmark. She also serves on advisory bodies for CARB-X, the Fleming Fund, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council for AMR, among many others. 

Nationally, her expertise has shaped South Africa’s AMR strategies. She has served as Vice-Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on AMR, a Ministerial appointee on the National Health Research Ethics Council, and a leading figure in various professional bodies including the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa. Her science engagement, spanning documentaries, radio, and television, has raised public awareness of the threat posed by antibiotic resistance, especially in low- and middle-income countries. 

A formidable academic leader, Essack has graduated 28 PhD and 46 masters students - many of them women from across Africa. Her commitment to mentorship and transformation in research earned her the 2021 National Research Foundation Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award. 

She has a career total of 230 journal articles and 198 conference presentations, and was ranked among UKZN’s top 30 researchers for three consecutive years. Her recent accolades include the 2024 Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award and a Horizon Award from Applied Microbiology International. 

Essack’s induction as a UKZN Fellow is a fitting tribute to a scholar whose work exemplifies excellence, impact, and an unwavering commitment to solving one of the greatest health challenges of our time. 

‘It is a singular honour to be recognised by one’s alma mater,’ Essack said. ‘This Fellowship is the collective effort of postdoctoral fellows, postgraduate students, collaborators and institutions that have contributed to this shared vision of combating AMR through science, innovation, and inclusive global partnerships.’

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini