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No Woman Should Die While Giving Life: A Reflection on Pre-Eclampsia and Maternal Health


No Woman Should Die While Giving Life: A Reflection on Pre-Eclampsia and Maternal Health

By Brenda Bonareri, Policy and Advocacy Officer, WACI Health

“We believe that no woman should die while giving life, and every birth should have positive outcomes for both mother and newborn. They should survive because maternal and neonatal complications are preventable.”
– Joyce Ng’anga, WACI Health

Some events stay with you long after the final speaker signs off. Our recent webinar on pre-eclampsia and women’s voices was one of them.

“Saving Lives of Mothers and Newborns – Women’s Voices on Pre-Eclampsia: A Conversation to Drive Change Ahead of IMNHC 2026”

Taking place in the lead up to global leaders and experts gathering at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2026, the discussion brought together SUPREME project partners, civil society, and communities directly impacted by pre-eclampsia and placed women’s lived experiences at the center.

For me, the event was a powerful reminder that maternal mortality and neonatal complications are not just statistics but lived realities for thousands of women and families across Kenya and Africa.

I was particularly moved by the pre-eclampsia diaries video produced by Action on Preeclampsia Ghana (APEC Ghana), which gave voice to powerful testimonies from four women who have faced this life-threatening condition.

“I couldn’t believe that at 32 weeks I could just lose my baby, whereas I could feel the baby moving that morning. I was in denial. I still have a hard time talking about it.”
– Hannah Yebuah-Amo, a customer service executive and pre-eclampsia survivor.

From the discussion, the critical truth that women are often not given timely, actionable information during antenatal care was underscored. As Catherine Kakolo Mongella of Thrive Beyond Pre-eclampsia Foundation (TPEF) in Tanzania noted, many women only receive crucial information when complications have already developed. This gap in early awareness continues to cost lives.

“As a mother, once you are pregnant, you are focused on the end game which is holding the child in your hands. If you are told to stop doing something, you will be keen.”
– Catherine Kakolo Mongella, TPEF

Similarly, Ashley Muteti of Zuri Nzilani Foundation in Kenya highlighted how health systems fail women who have experienced loss. Too often, they are not supported with the information or care needed to safely navigate future pregnancies. She spoke about the need to champion and embrace pre-conception care, and equip these women with information on when they need to seek care. There is also a need for expanding support groups and leveraging community health volunteers as essential steps to bridge this gap.

Reflecting on these realities, Koiwah Koi-Larbi of APEC Ghana emphasized that these stories are a powerful reminder of the lived reality for many women and a call to do better. The next time we see such stories, she noted, they should reflect progress, particularly in improving timely access to care.

“Care—no matter how quality it is—if not given on time, it is useless.”
– Koiwah Koi-Larbi, APEC Ghana

My key takeaway from the webinar was about the persistent systemic gaps: delayed diagnosis, limited access to quality diagnostics, late or inadequate care, and low awareness of pre-eclampsia symptoms at the community level. These are not new challenges but they remain dangerously unaddressed for far too many women.

The webinar featured the newly-launched Unitaid SUPREME project, which brings together leading partners, including Clinton Health Access Initiative (for the SECURE component) and Amref Health Africa (for the LIFELINES component), to scale up access to interventions for the timely detection and treatment of pre-eclampsia and anaemia in pregnant women.

WACI Health is part of the SUPREME SECURE project where we will contribute to ensuring that the introduction and scaling of diagnostics, treatments, and tools reflect the voices of the communities and reach women who need them most—particularly those often left behind. As an organization committed to advancing health equity across Africa, we continue to champion the role of civil society and community accountability in shaping how health solutions are designed, delivered, and measured.

We cannot discuss ending preventable maternal and neonatal deaths without centering the voices of those most affected!

CategoriesWACI Health News
byWACI Health

WACI Health Joins SUPREME: Unitaid Initiative to Tackle Pre-eclampsia and Anaemia

As a partner in the SUPREME Secure consortium, WACI Health will contribute to efforts to ensure diagnostics and treatments for pre-eclampsia and anaemia reach women who need them most.

WACI Health is proud to be part of SUPREME Secure, a consortium within the new Sustained Uptake of Products for Pre-Eclampsia and Maternal Anemia (SUPREME) initiative, backed by a US$52.5 million investment from Unitaid with additional funding from the Gates Foundation.

Announced on 19 March 2026, SUPREME brings together two of Africa’s most experienced global health implementers — the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Amref Health Africa — alongside a coalition of partners to introduce and scale up existing interventions and emerging innovations for the timely detection and treatment of pre-eclampsia and anaemia in pregnant women.

Pre-eclampsia, a hypertensive disorder that can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure and seizures, causes the death of tens of thousands of women and half a million newborns each year. Anaemia affects nearly 40 percent of all pregnant women globally and increases the risk of serious complications including haemorrhage, preterm birth, and low birth weight.

Lifesaving tools to address these conditions already exist from magnesium sulfate, which costs less than a dollar and can more than halve the risk of life-threatening seizures, to low-dose aspirin, blood-pressure screening devices, and intravenous iron. Yet supply chain gaps, substandard quality, late diagnosis, and undertrained health workers continue to prevent many women in low- and middle-income countries from accessing them.

Our role

SUPREME Secure, one of the initiative’s two implementation streams, is led by CHAI and includes WACI Health, the Concept Foundation, the Aurum Institute, and the Burnet Institute. The consortium focuses on the product side of the equation: ensuring that the medicines, diagnostics, and tools women need are rigorously tested, reliably supplied, and priced within reach of the health systems serving them.

WACI Health’s contribution sits at the intersection of advocacy and accountability. We are working to ensure that community voices and civil society perspectives are embedded in how these products are introduced and scaled, and that policy commitments translate into practice at the country level.

The SUPREME initiative will focus on Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, and Tanzania, working with ministries of health to strengthen antenatal care services and ensure essential maternal health tools reach facilities where they are needed most. Select activities will also take place in Nigeria and South Africa.

A companion stream, SUPREME Lifelines, is led by Amref Health Africa with Jhpiego, Solthis, and Market Access Africa, and focuses on in-country product introduction and implementation research to guide scale-up as part of effective models of care.

SUPREME reflects the kind of multi-partner, systems-level investment that the maternal and newborn health community has long called for. This is an initiative that addresses not just whether effective tools exist, but whether they actually reach the women who need them. As an organisation rooted in achieving health equity across Africa, WACI Health is committed to ensuring that civil society and community accountability remain central to how this initiative is designed, delivered, and measured.

Connect with us in Nairobi

The SUPREME announcement comes as the global maternal and newborn health community gathers in Nairobi for the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC 2026), held 23–26 March under the theme “Moving Forward. Together.” The conference is a critical moment for the sector to review the evidence, strengthen accountability, and catalyse new partnerships and investments to ensure mothers and newborns not only survive but thrive.

SUPREME consortium partners including CHAI and Unitaid are presenting across multiple sessions on maternal health product access and innovation. Follow us on LinkedIn/X/Facebook for updates from the conference.

CategoriesWACI Health News Press Release
byWACI Health

WACI Health Executive Director Rosemary Mburu Named to TIME100 Health

Time100 Health Honoree, Rosemary Mburu

WACI Health Executive Director Rosemary Mburu Named to TIME100 Health

NAIROBI, KENYA — WACI Health is proud to announce that Executive Director Rosemary Mburu has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List, an annual ranking of the 100 most influential individuals transforming the global health landscape.

The honour recognises Rosemary’s visionary advocacy and reflects the collective impact of WACI Health and our partners in strengthening civil society leadership in Africa and globally.

This recognition comes at a critical juncture when civil society leadership is essential to driving health equity and sustainable financing for health for the continent. As traditional development assistance undergoes massive realignments, WACI Health has been at the forefront of championing global solidarity expressed through multilateral institutions such as the Global Fund, domestic resource mobilisation, sustainable financing for health, regional manufacturing, and health sovereignty.

Through coalition-building, policy advocacy, and strategic partnerships, WACI Health works alongside communities and civil society to ensure African voices shape the decisions that affect our health and our futures. 

 “I am honoured to be included among such powerful health leaders,” said Rosemary Mburu. “I accept this in the name of the community of global health advocates around the world, working tirelessly to defend health and well-being, especially for the most marginalised. Our voice is not just a ‘perspective’ but rather, the blueprint for global health governance.”

At WACI Health, we believe communities and civil society must be at the forefront of health governance and financing. Whether working with directly impacted communities, youth advocates, parliamentarians, or multilateral institutions, we remain committed to building a world where all people, everywhere, can realise their right to health. We work to ensure that African civil society voices are not only heard in decision-making spaces but also, holding the pen on the policies that impact our lives.

“For too long, African expertise was sidelined in global health decision-making. Civil society platforms such as those led by WACI Health are changing that,” said Dudu Simelane, WACI Health Board Member and Director of Social and Human Development at the SADC Secretariat, “The future of global health is Africa-led. As a changemaker, Rosemary is stewarding the foundational shifts that make transformative change inevitable. As a Board, we are proud of Rosemary – she is really the leader that Africa needs at this time of major global shifts in health.”

We thank TIME for acknowledging that the future of global health depends on who is heard, who is trusted, and who leads. We also celebrate the communities and partners across Africa whose leadership and commitment make this movement possible.

 

###

 

About WACI Health:

WACI Health is an African regional advocacy organization that champions an end to life-threatening epidemics and advances health for all, shaping political priorities through an effective, evidence-driven Pan-African civil society voice and action.

WACI Health hosts or co-hosts networks of communities and civil society, including the African Civil Society Platform for Health (CiSPHA), the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) Africa, the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), Africa free of HIV infections (AfNHi), and Youth Leaders for Health (YL4H). It is also playing a convening role in the global health reform dialogues as a member of the HEAR CSO (Health Architecture Reimagined Civil Society Organizations) Consortium.

 

Media contact:

Carthi Mannikarottu
Communications Lead, WACI Health
carthi@wacihealth.org

 

Time100 Health Honoree, Rosemary Mburu

WACI Health Executive Director Rosemary Mburu Named to TIME100 Health

NAIROBI, KENYA — WACI Health is proud to announce that Executive Director Rosemary Mburu has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List, an annual ranking of the 100 most influential individuals transforming the global health landscape.

The honour recognises Rosemary’s visionary advocacy and reflects the collective impact of WACI Health and our partners in strengthening civil society leadership in Africa and globally.

This recognition comes at a critical juncture when civil society leadership is essential to driving health equity and sustainable financing for health for the continent. As traditional development assistance undergoes massive realignments, WACI Health has been at the forefront of championing global solidarity expressed through multilateral institutions such as the Global Fund, domestic resource mobilisation, sustainable financing for health, regional manufacturing, and health sovereignty.

Through coalition-building, policy advocacy, and strategic partnerships, WACI Health works alongside communities and civil society to ensure African voices shape the decisions that affect our health and our futures. 

“I am honoured to be included among such powerful health leaders,” said Rosemary Mburu. “I accept this in the name of the community of global health advocates around the world, working tirelessly to defend health and well-being, especially for the most marginalised. Our voice is not just a ‘perspective’ but rather, the blueprint for global health governance.”

At WACI Health, we believe communities and civil society must be at the forefront of health governance and financing. Whether working with directly impacted communities, youth advocates, parliamentarians, or multilateral institutions, we remain committed to building a world where all people, everywhere, can realise their right to health. We work to ensure that African civil society voices are not only heard in decision-making spaces but also, holding the pen on the policies that impact our lives.

“For too long, African expertise was sidelined in global health decision-making. Civil society platforms such as those led by WACI Health are changing that,” said Dudu Simelane, WACI Health Board Member and Director of Social and Human Development at the SADC Secretariat, “The future of global health is Africa-led. As a changemaker, Rosemary is stewarding the foundational shifts that make transformative change inevitable. As a Board, we are proud of Rosemary – she is really the leader that Africa needs at this time of major global shifts in health.”

We thank TIME for acknowledging that the future of global health depends on who is heard, who is trusted, and who leads. We also celebrate the communities and partners across Africa whose leadership and commitment make this movement possible.

 

About WACI Health:

WACI Health is an African regional advocacy organization that champions an end to life-threatening epidemics and advances health for all, shaping political priorities through an effective, evidence-driven Pan-African civil society voice and action.

WACI Health hosts or co-hosts networks of communities and civil society, including the African Civil Society Platform for Health (CiSPHA), the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) Africa, the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), Africa free of HIV infections (AfNHi), and Youth Leaders for Health (YL4H). It is also playing a convening role in the global health reform dialogues as a member of the HEAR CSO (Health Architecture Reimagined Civil Society Organizations) Consortium.

Media contact:

Carthi Mannikarottu
Communications Lead, WACI Health
carthi@wacihealth.org

CategoriesUncategorized WACI Health News
byWACI Health

South Africa–UK Parliamentary Exchange: Political Leadership for One World, One Fight

South Africa–UK Parliamentary Exchange: Political Leadership for One World, One Fight

In July, WACI Health co-led an MP exchange programme alongside STOPAIDS and South African civil society leadership.

The visit convened parliamentarians from South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK), civil society, and communities as an active representation of moving beyond transactional aid relationships toward genuine partnerships for #OneWorldOneFight – partnerships that are grounded in equity, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.

As South Africa and the UK prepare to co-host The Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment, this exchange laid the groundwork for deeper collaboration, stronger accountability, and renewed political leadership to end HIV, TB, and malaria.

The UK delegation was in South Africa in July and the South African delegation will be visiting their UK counterparts in September 2025.

South African – UK MP Exchange Initiative
South Africa Segment Report

Day 1: Monday 28 July

The trip opened with a briefing session where the group were given an overview of the country’s context from Dr Thembi Xulu, SANAC Civil Society Forum CEO. Dr Thembi highlighted the critical opportunity and essential need to ensure equitable access to Lenacapavir for South Africa stressing that “We participated in the science, in the research but are denied the benefits”. An overview of the critical role of Unitaid and Global Fund was given by Yvette Rapahel and Mulalo Murudi, both of which institutions the UK government was a founding member of, and the critical need for a fully replenished global health architecture to ensure both access and affordability of critical health products.

The first visit was to Thembisa Clinical Trial Site, with Aurum Institute, to showcase their Increasing Market and Public Health Outcomes Through Scaling Up Affordable Access Models of Short Course Preventive Therapy For TB (IMPAACT4TB) consortium, which is funded by Unitaid and is comprised of; the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Johns Hopkins University, KNCV the Dutch TB Foundation and the Treatment Action Group (TAG) for the scale-up of short course rifapentine-based TB preventive therapy (TPT) among high-risk groups: People living with HIV (PLHIV) and child contacts of persons with active TB infection.

The project was initially focused on 3HP (a three-month, once-weekly oral treatment of rifapentine 900mg and isoniazid 900mg for 12 weeks). IMPAACT4TB project commenced with a clinical study that ascertained the safety of co-administering and dosing of 3HP and DTG (DOLPHIN).

Following the success of the study, Unitaid and the IMPAACT4TB project led negotiations that resulted in global rifapentine price reductions in 2019 and 2021. In parallel, the project facilitated the introduction of 3HP as an additional TPT option among PLHIV and household contacts of TB patients in 12 project countries (Brazil, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Indonesia, South Africa, India, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, and Tanzania). Unitaid and the IMPAACT4TB consortium also brokered collaboration with PEPFAR, USAID, CDC the Global Fund, and other stakeholders to accelerate wider scale up of 3HP, successfully introducing 3HP in over 100 countries globally with over 12 million patient courses procured. 

The delegation were able to see first hand the critical importance of the UK’s investment in ensuring more affordable access to Rifapentine.

In the evening, the delegation were welcomed to learn more about the range of Unitaid funded projects in South Africa through a World Cafe to meet the grantees. The grantees included; CHAI, Aurum, WITS and PATH.

Day 2: Tuesday 29 July

Day 2 focused on innovative HIV prevention research, youth empowerment programmes, and advancing South Africa’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, before concluding with high-level diplomatic engagement.

WITS – Project PrEP

The day began in Soshanguve at Maria Rantho Clinic, where the WITS team presented Project PrEP (Integrating PrEP into Comprehensive Services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women), a Unitaid-supported initiative with three workstreams:

  1. Implementation Science Study. Since 2018, PrEP options have been offered alongside comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services at six fixed clinics and three mobile clinics in three districts. By June 2025, 46,512 people had initiated PrEP, 72% of whom were adolescent girls and young women. A nested cohort study offers participants a choice between oral PrEP, dapivirine vaginal ring, and long-acting injectable CAB-LA.
  2. Phase 3B LEN4PrEP Study. Planned for October 2025–March 2026, this will integrate Lenacapavir (LEN) for HIV prevention into real-world services, enrolling 2,000 participants.
  3. Market Shaping. In collaboration with CHAI, the team is working with generic manufacturers to accelerate the availability of affordable long-acting PrEP and support policy, training, and health system readiness in early adopter countries.

Delegates also visited one of the mobile clinics, meeting peer educators and counsellors providing frontline prevention services.

Soshanguve Safe Space – Childline & MIET Africa
 The delegation then visited a Childline Safe Space in Tshwane, part of NACOSA’s My Journey Adolescents and Young People Programme funded by the Global Fund. This programme aims to reduce HIV incidence, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence while increasing school retention and economic opportunities. Activities include psychosocial support, economic strengthening, homework support, and outreach to both girls and boys, including One Man Can gender equality workshops.

MIET Africa, another NACOSA sub-recipient, provides biomedical HIV prevention, testing, and treatment at community level, contributing more than 50% of PrEP provision in Tshwane. Young women shared powerful testimonies about the support received, prompting Lord Oates to affirm, “We will take these stories home.”

CPT Regional Manufacturing Facility – Rifapentine API
In the afternoon, delegates toured CPT Pharma, a subsidiary of Chemical Processing Technologies, supported by Aurum under the IMPAACT4TB project. CPT is finalising development and pilot production of locally manufactured rifapentine active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), the main component of the 3HP TB-preventive therapy regimen. This work will establish domestic rifapentine API production capacity, with potential to expand into other APIs such as Lenacapavir in future.

Reception with the British High Commissioner
The day concluded in Pretoria at a reception hosted by British High Commissioner Antony Phillipson, providing an opportunity for reflection and further engagement with partners on the importance of sustaining and scaling innovations in HIV prevention, community support, and local manufacturing.

Day 3: Wednesday 30 July 

The final day of the programme provided delegates with an in-depth view of two key Global Fund-supported interventions addressing the needs of marginalised communities, followed by a joint Civil Society Townhall.

Visit to OST Clinic – Yeoville, Johannesburg

The day began at the Yeoville Department of Health Clinic, where delegates met with NACOSA and Anova Health Institute teams implementing the People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) Programme. The programme, funded by the Global Fund, uses a peer-led model to reduce health and human rights risks for people who inject drugs (PWID) across eight districts in South Africa. Services include opiate substitution therapy (OST), safe injecting equipment, hepatitis C and HIV screening, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and parenting initiatives.

Delegates heard powerful testimonies from beneficiaries, including OST patients, economic empowerment participants, and needle and syringe service users. Clinical staff provided an overview of the daily operations and addressed common misconceptions about harm reduction. The group then visited a PWUD hotspot to observe outreach work in action. Lord Oates expressed his gratitude, sharing personal reflections on friends who had faced similar challenges, and commended the critical role these services play in saving lives and restoring dignity.

Visit to CPC West Rand Sex Worker Programme
The delegation then travelled to the West Rand to meet with the Centre for Positive Care (CPC), a sub-recipient of the Global Fund sex worker programme implemented by AFSA. CPC reaches over 4,000 sex workers – female, male, transgender, MSM, and minors selling sex, providing HIV prevention and treatment services, oral PrEP, economic training, and support to transition to alternative livelihoods if desired.

During discussions, sex workers highlighted ongoing human rights violations, including gender-based violence, often perpetrated by police. While many cases are resolved internally, others are settled financially or remain before the courts. A key request from participants was to increase the frequency of CPC visits from monthly to every few weeks. Ms Clarke emphasised the importance of the proposed decriminalisation of sex work bill in reducing stigma and rights abuses.

Civil Society Townhall
The programme concluded with a Civil Society Townhall in West Rand, co-hosted by UK and South African MPs alongside SANAC Civil Society Forum leaders. The session focused on the urgent need for a fully funded Global Fund to sustain progress against HIV, TB, and STIs. Participants shared lived experiences of accessing Global Fund–supported services, underscoring the importance of sustained investment to reach key and vulnerable populations, strengthen health systems, and protect global health security.

The day closed with a strong call to action for leaders at all levels to champion health equity, human rights, and sustained global health financing.

CategoriesWACI Health News
byWACI Health

WACI Health Leading Bold Push for Health Equity in C20 South Africa

The Civil 20 (C20) is an official engagement group of the G20, providing a structured space for civil society to engage with G20 leaders on critical global issues. As South Africa takes on the G20 presidency in 2025, this is a crucial moment for African voices to be at the forefront of global policy discussions.

Community and civil society organisations (CSOs) across Africa and around the world are essential in creating the inclusive and equitable policy dialogues we need at the global level.

WACI Health is honoured to join advocates for the C20 process and is co-leading the Equitable Health for All Working Group within the C20. Our leadership role reinforces our commitment to advocating for inclusive, people-centered health policies and ensuring that civil society voices remain at the heart of global health governance.

The G20, originally formed in 1999 to address global financial crises, has evolved into a strategic platform for addressing cross-cutting global challenges, including health equity. South Africa and the African Union are the permanent members of the G20 from the region. 

The C20, established in 2013, brings together civil society to engage with G20 processes and influence policy discussions. Other engagement groups for non-governmental stakeholders at the G20 include Labour 20 (L20), Women 20 (W20), and Youth 20 (Y20), among others. 

This year, the C20 engagement is coordinated through 14 Working Groups that are aligned in their roles and priorities with the G20 South Africa’s thematic areas. These C20 Working Groups will play a critical role in developing recommendations for G20 leaders in each thematic area, ensuring that people’s needs and priorities drive decisions made through the G20 process.

About the Equitable Health for All Working Group

The C20 Equitable Health for All Working Group will focus on ensuring that universal health coverage (UHC), pandemic preparedness, financing for global health, and equitable access to health care remain central to the G20 agenda.

Sizwe Nombasa Gxuluwe (Programs Manager, WACI Health) is the C20 Equitable Health for All Working Group Chairperson and also a focal point for C20 for G20 HWG. WACI Health co-leads the working group along with the National Association of People living with HIV and AIDS (NAPWA) South Africa and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

Our role includes:

  • Ensuring diverse perspectives from civil society across the world inform G20 health discussions
  • Engaging with the G20 Health Working Group by actively contributing to discussions and advocating for health policies that prioritise equity, access, and sustainability
  • Hosting monthly working group meetings and leading the development of the policy brief
  • Co-developing the C20 Policy Pack, which will outline civil society’s policy recommendations for G20 leaders, alongside contributions from 13 other working groups

Through our leadership, WACI Health is committed to bringing civil society voices, particularly from the Global South, to the forefront of G20 health discussions. Our participation ensures that the perspectives of communities affected by inequitable health systems shape global health policies, funding mechanisms, and governance structures.

WACI Health has been helping establish and coordinate the C20 structure and working groups, developing the C20 Concept Note, supporting group leads, and facilitating participation. We are also contributing to implementing the communications strategy, ensuring widespread engagement and visibility of civil society recommendations.

The C20 governance is structured to promote coordinated, inclusive, and strategic civil society action for the G20 process. The governance framework includes the C20 Chair (Thulani Tshefuta) and Co-Chairs, who are responsible for steering the overall process; a C20 Sherpa (Mabalane Mfundisi), who serves as the main point of contact with G20 representatives and other stakeholders; and a Secretariat (led by Nhlanhla Ndlovu), which provides logistical support and coordination.

A C20 Steering Committee ensures the C20 remains an open and diverse space for civil society engagement. At its core is the C20 Troika, which brings together civil society representatives from the previous host country (Brazil, 2024), the current host (South Africa, 2025), and the next host (United States, 2026). This structure facilitates sustained dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and institutional memory across C20 cycles. Additionally, an International Advisory Committee (IAC), composed of international CSOs with experience with the G20, provides strategic guidance. 

How to Engage

The success of the C20 depends on our participation and collective action. We invite community advocates and civil society organisations to join the C20 working groups as early as possible. Please contact us for questions about the Equitable Health For All Working Group.

Follow C20 South Africa updates on X and WhatsApp. 

Listen to the C20 Connection podcast to learn more!

In this episode, Noko Mashilo (Show Me Your Number) interviews Nombasa Gxuluwe (WACI Health), the C20 Chairperson for the Equitable Health for All Working Group.

CategoriesWACI Health News
byWACI Health

Recognition at the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB) Awards 2025

We are proud to celebrate Joyce Nganga, Senior Policy Advisor at WACI Health, for receiving the Sankara Leadership Award at the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB) Awards 2025.

The Sankara Leadership Award recognizes her transformative vision and bold leadership in building a healthier, self-reliant Africa. Joyce is a true champion for HIV prevention and health equity with decades of experience driving progress in the region.

The AWPCAB is a powerful collective of women and girls committed to advancing HIV prevention programs and strategies that center the voices and needs of African women. WACI Health is a proud partner of the AWPCAB and hosts its communications hub.

CategoriesWACI Health News
byWACI Health

CSEM for UHC2030 Champions Civil Society Perspectives on UHC at NEAPACOH 2025

WACI Health joined representatives of over 30 African parliaments and development partners at the 16th Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH) meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from March 5–7, 2025. 

Rosemary Mburu (Executive Director, WACI Health) delivered an intervention on the critical role of civil society in accelerating progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Representing the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), she presented key priority areas for parliamentarians and policymakers to accelerate the implementation of UHC in African countries.

The NEAPACOH meeting aimed to assess the continent’s progress toward achieving UHC and fulfilling the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda. Focus areas included: domestic financing for health, progress on the health of women, children, and adolescents in Africa, non-communicable diseases and immunization funding, progress towards UHC, and harnessing the demographic dividend for socio-economic transformation.

As a co-host of the CSEM Secretariat alongside Management Sciences for Health, WACI Health remains committed to ensuring that civil society perspectives are central in the UHC implementation conversation – nationally, regionally and globally. 

In her presentation, Rosemary underscored the stark reality outlined in the 2023 Global Monitoring Report on UHC by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank. While UHC remains a global priority, progress has stalled, and financial barriers continue to push millions into poverty. 4.5 billion people—more than half the world’s population—still lack access to essential health services. Financial protection has deteriorated in 70 percent of countries over the past two decades. Unless governments act now, UHC will remain an unfilled promise, especially for the most vulnerable populations. 

African leaders have recognized the importance of UHC by including it as a key objective in the Africa Health Strategy 2016–2030. In fact, between 2023 and 2024, 23 African countries increased their health spending as a percentage of GDP, moving closer to the aspirational target of 5%. However, we need to accelerate progress. The fact remains that 615 million people in Africa still lack essential health care services and 97 million people face catastrophic health care costs. 

Rosemary called for urgent and coordinated action to change this trajectory. Governments must prioritise delivering on the global and regional commitments to UHC at the national level. Parliamentarians play a crucial role in strengthening support for health and building the political will necessary to make these commitments a reality.  

She also called on policymakers to increase domestic financing for health and within that, prioritise financial protection for low-income and marginalized communities. Finally, governments must expand spaces for civil society engagement. The 2023 World Health Assembly Resolution on Social Participation for UHC provides a framework for ensuring that civil society voices are not only heard but are actively involved in shaping health policies. Parliamentarians should facilitate institutionalising social participation to ensure inclusive policies that are responsive to the needs of communities and accountable to the people they serve.

In her closing remarks, Rosemary reaffirmed civil society’s readiness to work alongside parliamentarians to accelerate the implementation of UHC. She urged decision-makers to champion bold policy reforms, increase domestic health investments, and create inclusive platforms where all stakeholders, especially the most vulnerable, can contribute to shaping the future of health in Africa.

Platforms like NEAPACOH are critical to strengthen the role of parliamentarians in improving health financing and developing equitable policy frameworks for health. We look forward to continuing to support regional leadership and coordinated actions toward health for all.

 

To join the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) on UHC2030, register here.
Follow updates on social media (LinkedIn, Bluesky, X). 

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CategoriesWACI Health News
byWACI Health

Appointment to the World Bank CSPF Working Group

Appointment to the World Bank CSPF Working Group

Rosemary Mburu, Executive Director of WACI Health, has been elected to serve on the World Bank and IMF Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) Working Group. Over 2,600 civil society representatives voted in the elections, selecting eight representatives for the working group. Rosemary is representing the Eastern and Southern Africa Region for the term January 2025 – December 2026.

The CSPF is the primary platform for CSOs to engage in the Spring and Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is an opportunity for direct dialogue with World Bank and IMF staff, governments, and other stakeholders on critical policy issues, including in health financing and governance.

The CSPF Working Group is a civil society-led body that advises the WBG and IMF on the structure, agenda, and implementation of the CSPF. The Working Group helps shape discussions, improve participation, and ensure a fair, transparent, and representative process.

As a CSPF Working Group member, Rosemary will support the representation of civil society voices from Eastern and Southern Africa in the discussions, ensuring that CSPF sessions are inclusive and responsive to the priorities of communities and civil society in the region.

“I’m truly honoured to take on this role and grateful for the trust of fellow advocates across the region,” Rosemary stated, “Community and civil society voices in global governance platforms are instrumental in pushing for more just and equitable policies. I’m committed to making sure we are heard loud and clear to ensure the CSPF puts people first.” Learn more.

Participate in the CSPF

The World Bank and IMF invite registrations to participate in the CSPF at the Spring Meetings 2025 as early as possible. All CSOs must register for the Spring Meetings to attend. Registration closes on April 11. For more information, subscribe to the World Bank Civil Society Newsletter. 

Stay Engaged!

WACI Health invites community and civil society advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa to stay informed on CSPF opportunities and provide inputs ahead of the Spring and Annual Meetings. Updates and announcements for the network will be shared through the African Civil Society Platform on Health (CiSPHA) – please join the listserv here. 

CategoriesWACI Health News Article
byWACI Health

WACI Health at the World Health Summit

WACI Health at the World Health Summit

In October, WACI Health  joined global health stakeholders for the World Health Summit in Berlin, centered on the theme, “Building Trust for a Healthier World.” This year’s theme underscored the pressing need to restore confidence in health systems strained by inequities in a more complex global governance landscape. As Dr. Tedros A. Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said in his opening: “Trust itself does not make people healthy, but no one can be healthy without trust.”

Civil society plays a critical role in building the trust necessary for effective health interventions. For WACI Health, the Summit was a vital platform to engage with civil society colleagues and experts around the world working to advance health equity, as well as partners from global health institutions, private sector, academia, and governments. The discussions reinforced the transformative shifts needed to build and maintain health systems that are resilient, well-resourced, and people-centered.

Highlights from our engagement at the World Health Summit:

Panel on Regional Manufacturing of Health Technologies
Rosemary Mburu, Executive Director of WACI Health, took part in a panel hosted by Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The session delved into regional manufacturing of medicines and other health technologies. Our intervention highlighted the need to create demand for locally-manufactured products through effective engagement with country governments and civil society. Ms Mburu emphasized the importance of including civil society and communities through all stages of the R&D process to ensure there is a market for the solutions that are being developed and they respond to the needs on the ground. The conversation was a powerful reminder of the role of regional manufacturing in building health resilience in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Collaboration with CEPI
As a civil society delegate with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Rosemary Mburu joined various discussions with CEPI and other LMIC representatives. The civil society delegates shared their knowledge and insights on ways to strengthen collaboration for pandemic preparedness. More needs to be done to elevate these voices in global pandemic preparedness conversations, and ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments in future crises.

Participants sitting around a table at a town hall session at the World Health Summit. Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands is speaking.

Town Hall with the Global Fund
Rosemary Mburu moderated a town hall discussion with Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, and fellow advocates of the Global Fund. The discussion offered an invaluable opportunity to discuss the Fund’s impact on communities and strategize together for its 8th Replenishment. Last month, the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) released 8 Asks for the 8th Replenishment, a set of priorities that aim to maximize the Global Fund’s capacity to serve the world’s most vulnerable communities and set a renewed vision for global health. 

Intervention at the ONE Campaign’s Global Health Lab
WACI Health joined a critical discussion on the changing landscape of global health financing at the ONE Campaign’s Global Health Lab session. The session examined the mounting challenges to bridging funding gaps, especially in Africa, as donor support stagnates and an increasing number of global challenges reshape the landscape. WACI Health’s intervention called for a restructuring of the global financing ecosystem with a framework that better aligns resources to meet the needs of all nations, especially those in the Global South. We must ensure a more effective and equitable resource allocation that strengthens health systems in our countries and builds long-term sustainability.

Throughout the sessions, we noted the role of African leadership and the importance of the localization agenda, advocating for health systems that are led by and truly responsive to the communities they serve. Civil society engagement remains crucial, both to hold institutions accountable and to ensure that health strategies reflect and prioritize the community. As Dr. Tedros emphasized, “Everything we do depends on the trust of the communities we serve.”

In upcoming global governance conversations, including at the G20, WACI Health is committed to supporting equitable partnerships, elevating African leadership in health, and advocating for systems that place health equity at the forefront. We will continue amplifying civil society voices to ensure that health and community needs remain a central focus in global dialogues. 

CategoriesWACI Health News Article
byWACI Health

Celebrating 20 Years of ACTION

Celebrating 20 Years of ACTION

In October 2024, the ACTION Global Health Partnership marked its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of advancing political leadership for major global health initiatives and equitable health outcomes across the world. ACTION is a partnership of 14 locally rooted, independent civil society organizations working across continents in both the Global North and South, driven by a shared mission to ensure equitable health outcomes for all. 

Since joining the Partnership in 2014, WACI Health has worked closely with partners to strengthen political will and leadership to end the TB epidemic, improve immunization and nutrition efforts, and build sustainable health systems.

Through ACTION, partners leverage their insights, experiences, and networks for coordinated advocacy on critical global health issues. Being part of ACTION provides WACI Health with unique opportunities for knowledge-sharing, coordinating messaging, and conducting joint advocacy through multiple entry points in the Global South and Global North. 

We convene civil society groups and facilitate their engagement with global decision-makers, informing health policies and programs that prioritize equity and accountability. Together, we also engage communities and political leaders to demonstrate the value and impact of health investments. This collaboration amplifies our collective voice and expands the reach of our strategic and targeted advocacy.

WACI Health congratulates the ACTION Global Health Partnership for 20 years of effecting change and looks forward to our continued work together to advance health equity.

Learn more about ACTION.

 

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