Dr. Mitch Besser is a charismatic and energetic man who has dedicated his life to finding innovative strategies to help people deal with HIV/AIDS.

His resume includes three decades of education and work devoted to domestic and international health with a focus on obstetrics and gynecology. In addition to his work in South Africa and the United States, Mitch has worked and volunteered in Swaziland, the Federated States of Micronesia, Vietnam, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the UK.

Mitch moved with his wife and two boys to Cape Town in January 2000, joining the University of Cape Town’s Department of Obstetrics. He assisted with the development of initiatives to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to provide care to HIV-infected women. He established antenatal care programs and formed committees to coordinate hospital services for HIV infected pregnant women and their infants. Throughout his work with HIV-positive pregnant patients, he recognized the need for a psychosocial support program that would provide education and support to women who were battling with their recent HIV diagnosis, and assist them decide how to lead their lives in response to the diagnosis.

He saw South Africa’s HIV-positive mothers as an irreplaceable resource for strengthening public health care and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) initiatives. In 2001, Mitch founded mothers2mothers, which has since developed from a single support group in Cape Town to a multinational NGO.