Poonitha is a long-standing human rights activist for Amnesty International South Africa. She remains dedicated to social justice and medical rights advocacy. Amongst memberships of international and national social justice and forensic science forums, she is a member of the Forensic Genetics Policy Initiative Network of Experts, Detention Justice Forum (SA), and a founding member of the Medical Rights Advocacy Network (MeRAN). She has dual qualifications in Diagnostic Radiography and Radiotherapy (Oncology), and an LLM in Medical Law (UKZN). She pioneered the field of forensic imaging in South Africa to produce medical evidence of torture, physical abuse, and human identification.