Dr. Fortunate Shabalala (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Eswatini, Faculty of Health Sciences where she is head of the Department of Community Health Nursing Science and a member of University Senate. In addition to her administrative duties, Dr. Shabalala teaches courses in mental health nursing, community health nursing and health systems research.

Her research examines structural drivers of HIV and gender-based violence among young people, in particular girls and young women, and students in institutions of higher learning in Eswatini, with a focus on the intersection between gender, poverty, and socio-economic inequality. She is the founding director of Centre for Child and Adolescent Health Research and Counselling.