Prof Buch is a medical doctor and a registered specialist in Community Medicine. Prior to his appointment as Dean, he was Professor of Health Policy and Management in the School of Health Systems and Public Health at the University of Pretoria. He serves as Health Adviser to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

Before joining the University of Pretoria in 2000, Prof Buch was Deputy Director General for Health Care of Gauteng; Executive Director for Health, Housing and Urbanisation of metropolitan Johannesburg and a founder and Director of the Centre for Health Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand. He served as General Secretary of the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network and was an active member of the National Medical and Dental Association. He began his career with an MRC research fellowship and by co-founding the Wits Rural Health Services Development Unit in Bushbuckridge, where he co-ordinated the team that ran one of the first Primary Health Care (PHC) nurse training courses. He is a founding member of the Board of the Global Health Workforce Alliance.

Over the past 30 years Prof Buch has gained executive experience in academic, government, NGO and global health environments in the fields of health policy and management, health systems, the health workforce and in research, education and community service and has built skills in strategic development. Over the past decade he has grown his expertise in the field of Human Resources for Health at the continental and global levels. He is currently working on developing an Executive Leadership Programme in Health in collaboration with Harvard and Fort Hare Universities. He is the scientific co-ordinator of a European Union Incodev Project on Global Health Initiatives in Africa.

Prof Buch’s appointment as Dean comes at the beginning of a process to reposition the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and we are grateful to have him leading the Faculty at such an auspicious time. 
 

Prof CM de la Rey

Vice-Chancellor and Principal