People

Qhayiya Mudau

South Africa

Biography

Qhayiya Mudau (nee Magaqa) is a physiotherapist and Rhodes Scholar currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Oxford. Qhayiya’s research focuses on how to improve access to health rehabilitation services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, for people with disabilities in rural South Africa. In particular, she analyses opportunities for health policies to be best translated into practice in a way that facilitates inclusion and participation in every day life for people with disabilities. Her conviction is that people with disabilities should also have the opportunities to live the kinds of lives that they themselves find valuable. Outside of her research, Qhayiya teaches on the East Africa Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

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“Access to physiotherapy services, I believe, has a such a crucial role in building and rebuilding the lives of individuals after disease or disaster. Access to physiotherapy services provides individuals with the opportunity to answer the question of ‘what happens now, after disease and conflicts have been resolved?’ What happens now? Rehabilitation services are about rebuilding.”

Qhayiya Mudau