Thomas John Bisika

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Dr. Thomas John Bisika, a Demographer and Public Health Specialist, was born on April 6, 1967 in Malawi. He is originally from Makanjira Village, TA Chikowi, Zomba.

Dr. Thomas John Bisika is currently the Head of Division for Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, Other Related Infectious Diseases and Population at the African Union. He studied at Chancellor College of the University of Malawi, Georgetown University in Washington, DC, United States of America, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Hawaii, University of Witwatersrand, Galillee College (Israel), Atlantic International University and University of South Africa. He holds a B.Sc. in Demography and Computer Science, an M.A. in Demography and Statistics and Doctorate of Science in Medical Anthropology.

While a student at Chancellor College, he formed the Demography Student Association which he went on to become the founding President and was also the interim President of the Student Union of Chancellor College between 1992 and 1993.

With respect to charity work, Thomas Bisika was one of the youngest Malawians ever to have been inducted as a Member of the Lions Club International.

From 1994 to 2001 Dr. Thomas Bisika was the Chairperson of the National Health Sciences Research Committee which is the National Health Research Ethics Review Board for the Malawi Government and is housed in the Ministry of Health Headquarters. In this capacity he approved a number of clinical trials and health related studies including the ones involving Antiretroviral Therapy.

Prior to joining the African Union, Dr. Bisika worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi where he is currently on leave of absence. Dr. Bisika has also taught demography and sociology at Chancellor College, a constituent College of the University of Malawi.

In 1999 Dr. Thomas John Bisika received a Gender Matters Award of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Ottawa, Canada. The money from this award was shared with the Centre for Social Research where he conducted the research on Traditional Eye Medicine which earned him this award.

At the African Union he has written excellent speeches for H.E. Alpha Konare, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Advocate Bience Gawanas, Commissioner for Social Affairs. He was also instrumental in the elaboration of a number of African Union policy documents including the African Common Position on Migration and Development, Africa Health Strategy, Plan of Action on Violence Prevention and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa.

Dr Thomas Bisika has also previously worked as a consultant for the World Food Programme, World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, Danish Red Cross, Danish International Development Agency, Population Services International, International Eye Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, National AIDS Commission (Malawi), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Gender of the Malawi Government and several NGOs including Project Hope and Emmanuel International. Dr Bisika's academic work has been published in the Journal of AIDS and Behaviour and in the Measure Evaluation Project of the United States Agency for International Development. He has also presented a number of papers at the Population Association of America (PAA).

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