Anthony Zwi grew up and was educated in South Africa. He obtained his medical degree, as well as diplomas in occupational health and in tropical medicine and hygiene, as well as a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Prior to migrating from South Africa he worked actively with progressive anti-apartheid health organisations. He studied further in the UK and completed an MSc in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; he also became a specialist public health physician in the UK and subsequently in the Australian system.

He has worked extensively in international health while based at University College London, the NHS, and then the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he headed the Health Policy Unit for a number of years. He migrated to Australia in 2001 and was appointed as the first Head of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW in 2002, a position he held for several years. He is currently Professor of Global Health and Development at UNSW where he continues to teach global development, supervise PhD students, and undertake research. He is a member of the Development Practice Committee of the Australian Council for International Development (Acfid).

Anthony has extensive international experience and has published widely in relation to interpersonal, collective and gender-based violence, global health and health systems, development policy and practice, and their interfaces with equity, social justice and human rights. He has researched with colleagues in Australia and a wide range of countries in Africa and Asia. He is committed to supporting people and systems affected by and/or recovering from disasters, crises and conflicts. He seeks to ensure that ‘interventions’ promote people’s rights and are sensitive to culture, conflict, and to rebuilding trust, social cohesion and gender equity.