Dr. Gibson Mhlanga was born in Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo on 8 May 1970. Following the completion of his advanced level studies in 1989, he enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) for his Medical Degree between 1990–94.

He joined Mpilo Central Hospital for his internship, which he completed in December 1996. He then worked as a Government Medical Officer until December 1997. In 1998, he returned to the UZ for his Master of Public Health degree (MPH), which he completed in October 1999.

Armed with an MPH, he was assigned to the Matebeleland North Provincial Medical Directorate in November 1999 as a Medical Officer of Health. He was responsible for Epidemiology and Disease Control, a position he held until September 2001 when he was promoted to become the Provincial Medical Director for Masvingo province.

In February 2002, he was transferred back to Matebelel and North Province in the same capacity. In 2003, Dr Mhlanga enrolled for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) which he completed in 2005. In 2006, he was appointed to his current position of Principal Director, Preventive Services.

Dr. Mhlanga is a member of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe and is on several subcommittees. He has co-authored the Zimbabwe Equity Watch Reports, and has reviewed several academic papers and articles.

He currently chairs the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health HRH and Results Based Financing taskforces among others. He has attended several Regional and International Health forums notably, the SADC and Africa Regional Ministers’ Conferences, ECSA-HC and World Health Assemblies. He is an alternate Member in the Zimbabwe Global Fund CCM. He was appointed to the Commission on Ageing in Developing Countries in September 2013. He is married and has three girls and a boy.