Charne Roberts is the National Advocacy Coordinator at the South African Network of People Who Use Drugs, or SANPUD. A passionate human rights and harm reduction advocate, Charne works to amplify the voices of people who use drugs ensuring they are not just heard, but meaningfully included in shaping the policies that affect their lives. She is especially committed to advancing the rights of women who use drugs, challenging gender-based violence, and fighting the stigma and criminalisation that fuels exclusion. Through her leadership, Charne has helped build grassroots advocacy networks across South Africa, empowering communities with the tools, knowledge, and platforms to advocate for health, dignity, and justice. Her work is grounded in the belief that nothing about us should be without us

Dr. Kattakuzhy is a physician-scientist specializing in internal and addiction medicine, with research expertise in substance use and associated infections. Dr. Kattakuzhy is an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Division of Addiction Research and Treatment at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She serves as an Associate Director for the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, and Co-Director of the Research Initiative in Infection and Substance Use at the Institute of Human Virology.

Jodilee Erasmus is a Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council, in the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance use, and Tobacco Research Unit. She has her Mphil in Public Health from the Health Sciences Faculty, at the University of Cape Town. Her interests lie in the policing of substances and substance use, empowerment of communities, as well as alcohol use during pregnancy. She is currently the data analyst for the SACENDU project.