Sehat Kahani is proud to announce that its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Sara, and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr. Iffat, are now among the 17 Heroines of Health 2022 awarded by Women In Global Health.
This year’s event was hosted on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, on 17 October 2022, aiming to highlight the traditionally unrecognized women in the healthcare systems worldwide. There is a significant share of women in the healthcare system globally however, they still stay deprived of leading and decision-making roles.
This event, being organized under the title of “Leading Change: Heroines of Health,” provided a platform for the women of the healthcare system to create a discussion on the vulnerabilities in the health system and assisted them in highlighting their work for a better change.
Women in Global Health campaigns for equal representation for women in health leadership; equitable pay and ending unpaid work for women health workers; and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment.
At the gala, the Director General (DG) of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos spoke to the guests.
About the event, Dr. Roopa Dhatt, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Women in Global Health added:
Women health and care workers have been characterized as heroines for remaining on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has illuminated the gender inequities in the health workforce that are causing the “Great Resignation in Health”. These inequities are placing women workers at a disadvantage undermining health systems and global health security.
Dr. Sara and Dr. Iffat were nominated by Grand Challenges Canada and entitled among the Heroines of Health 2022 for their efforts to overcome the 40 percent attrition among women doctors after marriage.
They founded a telemedicine organization called Sehat Kahani in Pakistan. With around 1.3 million online consultations already conducted, Sehat Kahani is a female-led organization that aims to get 50,000 doctors onboard in the next five years.
On getting this prestigious award, Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga expressed with zeal and gratitude:
This award is not just for us, but a ray of hope for many women who doubt their qualities just based on their gender. I am proud and humbled to get this award. This will definitely drive me to do even better in the innovation of the healthcare industry. I sincerely thank both Grand Challenges Canada and the Women in Global Health to have recognized our work in the area of Digital Health for a wide array of populations especially the ones most deprived.
Dr. Sara Saeed added:
This isn’t just recognition for us but for all female doctors, nurses, micro-entrepreneurs, and patients that we have empowered via the platform of Sehat Kahani over the years. This recognition will motivate us to continue our struggle for quality, accessible and equitable health care for all but specifically for the women of our country while creating flexible employment opportunities for many current and future female doctors of Pakistan!
About Sehat Kahani, Sehat Kahani, founded by Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, is a telemedicine platform that strives to connect online doctors to patients using chat, audio, and video consultation at affordable rates. Sehat Kahani has been committed to providing quality and affordable healthcare to the people of Pakistan, especially to those who lack sound access to it in rural areas.
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