Little but Mighty - Champions Rise!
We are the voice for South Africa's youngest liver patients and the hands that hold their families through one of the hardest journeys a parent can face.
Our Story
In South Africa, a diagnosis of Biliary Atresia or liver failure should never be a silent struggle. Yet for too many families, that is exactly what it has been - late diagnoses, limited access to paediatric liver transplants, and a system that does not always know where to look. The Little Liver Champions Coalition was born from the stories of brave parents and little heroes who deserved a champion in their corner and did not yet have one.
Our Vision
A South Africa where every child with a liver condition receives an early diagnosis, world-class care, and a community that carries them toward a healthy future.
Our Mission
To bridge the gap in paediatric liver health through awareness, family-centred advocacy, and strategic partnerships that save lives.
What We Do
We work across five connected areas, because saving a child's life takes more than one kind of champion.
Awareness Campaigns
Educational posters, Poop Cards, and screening tools placed in clinics and hospitals nationwide - because catching liver disease early starts with knowing what to look for.
Family Support
Peer-to-peer counselling and resource navigation for parents who have just received a diagnosis and do not know where to turn next.
Advocacy & Vaccination
We push for policy changes that protect children before they are ever diagnosed - including the inclusion of danger signs in the Road to Health Booklet and wider promotion of Hepatitis B vaccination.
Specialised Education
Training healthcare workers across South Africa to recognise the early signs of liver dysfunction, so no child slips through the cracks.
Strategic Partnerships
Connecting families with leading paediatric liver specialists and transplant facilities, because geography should never determine a child's outcome.
What Drives Us
Hope
Even in the toughest battles, we look toward the light. We have seen what early action and the right support can do for a family, and that keeps us going.
Resilience
Inspired by the children we champion, we do not back down. Liver disease does not take breaks, and neither do we.
Community - Mzansi Spirit
Ubuntu in action. It takes a village to save a child, and we are proud to be building that village across South Africa every day.
Early Detection
Time is the most valuable resource we have. The sooner a liver condition is identified, the better a child's chances. That belief drives everything we do.
Inclusivity
Every child, from every corner of South Africa, deserves an equal chance at a healthy life. We do not stop at borders, languages, or postcodes.
Our Champions
Prof Christina Hajinicolaou
Co-Founder & Director
A pioneering figure in South African paediatric gastroenterology, Prof Hajinicolaou played a founding role in establishing paediatric gastroenterology as a formal medical subspecialty in South Africa in 2008. With over three decades in the field, she shaped national training programmes, led the 2023 Biliary Atresia Awareness Campaign, and continues to influence medical education at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Dr Priya Walabh
Co-Founder & Director
Clinical Head of the Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, a unit she established in 2015. Currently President of the South African Transplantation Society, Dr Walabh's work focuses on equitable access to liver care and addressing disparities in transplantation across South Africa. Trained at the University of Cape Town and Red Cross Children's Hospital.
RN Anja Meyer
Co-Founder & Director
With over a decade in transplant coordination and management, Anja Meyer is the former Chairperson of the South African Transplant Coordinators Society and previously served on the Executive Committee of the South African Transplantation Society. A master’s graduate in Nursing and current PhD candidate at Wits, she developed the organ donation reference file distributed to more than 1,000 ICU and emergency departments across South Africa in 2020. Live by the principal UBUNTU - I am, because we are.
Dr Meshack Motha
A specialist surgeon in renal and liver transplantation, Dr Motha advances surgical precision and innovation at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the Netcare Milpark Transplant Units. He serves on the Executive Committee of the South African Transplant Society and lectures at the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Dr Rachel Mlotha Mitole
Paediatric Gastroenterologist
Originally from Malawi and currently based in Johannesburg, Dr Mlotha Mitole serves at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, contributing to clinical care, teaching, and advocacy for children with complex gastrointestinal and liver conditions. She is African Representative for CAPGHAN and Co-Founder of the African Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ASPGHAN).
Dr One Mokwatlo
Paediatric Gastroenterologist
Trained across the University of Melbourne, University of Botswana, and University of the Witwatersrand, Dr Mokwatlo holds fellowships in paediatrics and a certificate in paediatric gastroenterology. She brings comprehensive subspecialty training and extensive clinical experience in child health to the LLCC team.
Dr Nhlakanipho Siphelele Mangeni
Paediatric Gastroenterologist
A specialist paediatrician and paediatric gastroenterologist based at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Dr Mangeni qualified through the University of the Witwatersrand in 2024. His areas of interest include paediatric liver diseases, pancreatitis, nutritional disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease. He has played a key role in digital health integration within the CHBAH Paediatrics Department.
Dr Abdelsalam Ahmed
Paediatric Gastroenterologist
A paediatric gastroenterologist holding MBBS, MD, and MPH qualifications with a Certificate in Paediatric Gastroenterology (SA). Dr Ahmed graduated from the University of Gezira in Sudan, completed his paediatric training, and went on to complete his fellowship at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Partners & Supporters
We do not work alone. The Little Liver Champions Coalition is proud to work alongside some of South Africa's leading institutions, including Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, South African Liver Foundation, Save 7, and SASPGHAN. Together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts.
