AMREF received the World Federation of Public Health Associations 2012 Organisational Award in recognition of the organisation’s outstanding achievements in and contributions to the field of public health. The award was presented to the DG, Dr Teguest Guerma, at the ongoing World Congress on Public Health in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Receiving the award, the DG said that AMREF works in the remotest communities in Africa, serving the most vulnerable people in order to achieve lasting health change in Africa. “We believe that the power to transform Africa’s health lies within its communities. We therefore work side by side with the people to build their knowledge and skills, so that they can transform their own health,” she emphasised.
She observed that AMREF’s credibility with local communities and African governments stems from the relationship and trust that AMREF has built over the past 55 years which includes learning from, influencing and partnering with various stakeholders to build long-term relationships and ensure holistic solutions to address communities’ needs. She also noted that AMREF’s recognition in the public health arena stems from the fact that AMREF strengthens health systems, particularly at community level, and develops human resources for health to alleviate the critical shortage of skilled health workers in Africa. She pointed out that AMREF has trained over 500,000 community health workers, mid-level health workers, and leaders of health institutions from over 33 African countries.
The DG announced that AMREF’s focus on women and children had seen it launch an international awareness campaign called Stand Up for African Mothers. She explained that the campaign aims to train 15,000 midwives by 2015 in order to contribute to reduction of maternal mortality in Africa by up to 25 per cent.
AMREF is a transparent organisation distributing funds of up to $85 million per year.
