Inaugural Lecture on Advancing Disability-Inclusive Rehabilitation in HIV Era and Beyond

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Professor Verusia Chetty of UKZN’s Department of Physiotherapy delivered an entertaining, emotional and intertextual hybrid inaugural lecture titled: ‘From Margins to Mainstream: Advancing Disability-Inclusive Rehabilitation in the Era of HIV and Beyond’.

“Inaugural lectures form part of the University’s public lecture series and may only be presented by newly-appointed full professors in the academic Schools and Centres,” said College of Health Sciences Dean of Research, Professor Bongani Nkambule, who led laudatory remarks on Chetty’s achievement.

“Inaugural lectures present an opportunity to showcase the exciting and groundbreaking research and teaching being carried out by UKZN professors. The lectures represent a significant milestone in an academic’s career, providing official recognition of their promotion or appointment to a full professorship,” said Nkambule.

Dean and Head of UKZN’s School of Health Sciences Professor Khathutshelo Mashige said Chetty held a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiotherapy cum laude from the former University of Durban-Westville, a Master’s in Physiotherapy and a PhD in Health Sciences from UKZN. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in HIV and rehabilitation and is a member of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science.

Mashige said Chetty’s academic and professional trajectory was a testament to her passion for inclusive rehabilitation with a special focus on marginalised populations, including people living with HIV, children with disabilities and senior adults.

Chetty began her career in the public sector at Mseleni and Addington hospitals, later gaining international experience in the United Kingdom and private practice before joining academia in 2007. “Through dedication and excellence,” said Mashige, “she rose through the ranks from clinical tutor to senior lecturer and later as academic leader for both teaching and learning and the Discipline of Physiotherapy.”

Chetty’s research, which is deeply rooted in social justice, has significantly shaped the understanding and practice in community-based and disability inclusive rehabilitation. She has contributed to key global initiatives such as the UN’s disability inclusion brief and led transformative projects including saving futures. Her work has produced policy briefs, training manuals and educational materials that address stigma and promote inclusion across diverse populations.

She has co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, presented at international conferences around the world, and secured numerous research grants from prestigious bodies including the National Research Foundation (NRF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the South African Medical Research Council. Her leadership and academic excellence have been recognised through multiple awards including the South African Women in Science Award in 2019, the Japanese Society for Science Fellowship in 2019, NRF rating in 2018 and a C-rating in 2024. She has also received the College of Health Science Teaching Excellence Award in 2019 and the National Health Scholarship from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).

Beyond research and teaching, Chetty has served on several national and international boards and panels, including the NRF Health Science Panel, the National Strategic Plan for HIV and TB and editorial boards of international journals.

She continues to mentor the next generation of physiotherapists and rehabilitation scientists through postgraduate supervision and professional leadership while her work shapes policy, research and education in rehabilitation both locally and globally.

Chetty said the lecture was not merely a recital of her accomplishments or milestones but a weaving of the personal with the scientific, human and the academic because she believed that her science could not be separated from who she was as a person. “I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague and - proudly - an alumnus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The lecture was a celebration of life, of science, of people and of possibility,” she said.

“The lecture was dedicated to all those who have enriched my journey and especially to my late father, Poppy Govender, who taught me to celebrate every moment, big or small, and who brought science to our dinner table as though it was part of our daily bread.”

She said although her area of interest was HIV and anthropology, recently she found that research had diversified and her interest was now more focused on education, teaching and learning and empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“I was born in Kharwastan, a community whose spirit of resilience shaped me long before I even understood what resilience meant. As a child, I faced serious illness but I was cocooned in love, faith and stability. My mother, Jessie, remains my pillar of strength - she is a woman of faith, whose quiet devotion to Christ has sustained me through every storm,” said Chetty.

She says sharing is an act of generosity that multiplies and not divides. “In academia, as in life, we do not diminish ourselves when we share our insights, our time or our compassion. Instead, we create ripples of growth that extend far beyond what we can see. Sharing knowledge empowers the next generation,” she said. “Sharing kindness builds resilience in the face of adversity while sharing vision allows us to dream collectively of a better world.

“For me, sharing is therefore not optional, it is the fabric of collaboration, the foundation of mentorship and the essence of leadership. It is what transforms individuals into communities and communities into movements of growth.”

The inaugural lecture was live-streamed on YouTube.

Words: Lunga Memela

Photograph: Supplied