Dr. Chalomba Chitanika is an internal medicine specialist and the COVID-19 Coordinator, Clinical at ICAP at Columbia University in Zambia, a role which sees him sit at the country’s Ministry of Health headquarters where he provides a technical assistance and coordination role in the country’s COVID-19 policy, strategy, and planning. He also provides on-site support as a specialist physician at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital. He is an honorary lecturer in the schools of medicine at the University of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University and the Zambia Colleges of Medicine and Surgery.
Dr.Chitanika obtained his primary medical degree from Tver State Medical Academy in Tver Russia, and his master’s degree in internal medicine from the University of Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia. He is extensively experienced in the management of patients with HIV and tuberculosis (TB). Dr.Chitanika has been part of Zambia’s COVID-19 response team since the inception of the pandemic. He has served as a frontline worker, as a clinical mentor, and now in his current role in which he aids in coordinating the clinical response at national level.
Dr.Chitanika is an early career researcher and has presented abstracts at both local and international conferences. He is a published author with his work around TB and vitamin D forming part of the basis for the inclusion in the Zambian TB guidelines, of a recommendation for vitamin D supplementation in select TB patients. Dr.Chitanika is also a founding member of Zambia COVID-19 Taskforce, and a member of the COVID-19 Taskforce on the Documentation of Zambia’s COVID-19 response.
