CWGH wins Africa NGO Leadership Award - Press Statement
Mr. Rusike holding the CWGH Leadership award
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), Zimbabwe’s leading health advocacy group, was conferred with this year’s glamorous Africa NGO Leadership Award for its outstanding achievements in the health sector at the 6th Edition of the Africa Leadership Award held at Le Meridian Hotel in Mauritius last week. The award, which is given to those that make a difference to the lives of others, was received by CWGH Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike.
The CWGH, which was established in 1998, was recognised for leading and giving visibility to community processes in health in Zimbabwe. Over the years, the organisation has positioned itself as a voice in the health sector and built community power, organizing involvement of communities in health actions within their communities and around Primary Health Care (PHC). It has also empowered communities through health literacy to meaningfully participate and contribute towards health governance, environmental health, and mobilizing resources to support health centres. This is being done through community level initiatives with limited external support. The Africa Leadership Awards are presented by the World CSR and the STARS OF THE INDUSTRY GROUP. The event, which was attended by about 150 senior leaders and decision makers, recognise the achievements made by selected high profile corporate business in Africa and honour their contributions towards their countries’ economic development.
The Jury decided to honour Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) with the Africa NGO Leadership Award. The award is conferred on "Outstanding professionals who have the vision, flair, acumen and professionalism to demonstrate excellent Leadership and Management skills in an organisation, making changes and achieving results.
Criteria: Those who can make a difference to the lives of others are chosen. For the quality of their work, global reach and outlook and ability to contribute value of social change. Change can be quantified - especially since it impacts the lives of many. If it does then it is positive change. But the main is Making A Difference (MAD).
Process: The NGO Leadership Award is intensely researched process undertaken by the research cell which consists of Post Graduates in History & Management with over 5 years research experience posts their studies. It is the iconic job of the research cell to produce a shortlist of Individuals who are doing extraordinary work and track the record of their achievements. The shortlist is then reviewed by a Jury comprising of senior professionals from across the globe.
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) is a network of national membership based civil society and community based organisations who aim to collectively enhance community participation in health in Zimbabwe.
For further information, please contact:
The Executive Director Itai Rusike (Mr) Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) 312 Samora Machel Avenue Eastlea, Harare Zimbabwe
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) is holding its 23rd National Annual Meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 16th and 17th of November 2016 respectively at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare. The meeting will run under the theme "Leaving no one behind in National Health: What should Zimbabwe's contribution be?"
The CWGH will use the opportunity to review national health issues of concern and propose strategies for enhancing the health sector and in particular community participation in health. The CWGH is a strong advocate of primary health care and preventative health, and strengthening district health systems.
CWGH nominated to influential national health committees
The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has nominated the CWGH to the National Maternal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MDSR) committee and the National Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH-A) following the organisation’s sterling work in improving maternal and child health in Zimbabwe.
Some of the functions of the MDSR committee include reviewing maternal deaths reported in the last quarter as captured by the MDSR system and HMIS with the aim of assessing timely identification, notification/reporting, review and response as well as making focused, geography and stakeholder specific and actionable recommendations that are linked with avoidable factors based on the analysis of maternal deaths in the past quarter.
The purpose of the RMNCH-A committee is to oversee and coordinate the national RMNCH-A programme with the aim of bringing efficiency, complemmentarity and effectiveness in programme management, implementation and monitoring.