Reach Digital Health wins prestigious Skoll Award

Reach Digital Health has been awarded the 2023 Skoll Award for Social Innovation. The award, which recognises leaders and organisations that advance transformational social change, acknowledges their work towards strengthening health systems in low- to middle-income countries.

The Skoll Foundation’s announcement stated that Reach Digital Health is the only African organisation in the 2023 cohort honoured “for its accomplishments in driving large-scale, systemic, and sustainable change.”

Debbie Rogers, chief executive of Reach Digital Health, expressed her gratitude for the prestigious award, stating that “The award will amplify our organisation’s strategic ability to improve health systems, empower more people and have more impact in under-resourced environments.”

For the past 16 years, Reach Digital Health has been a best-in-class digital health innovator, leveraging technology and new approaches to empower citizens to live healthier lives, support and motivate health workers, and improve the quality of care when engaging with health systems.

Through its implementing partners, the organisation contributes towards sustainable impact within 11 countries across health domains such as HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, Tuberculosis, mental health, gender-based violence, and sexual health and rights.

With the Skoll Foundation’s endorsement, Reach Digital Health will unlock additional growth opportunities, increase its profile as a pan-African entity, and foster deeper collaborations between partners and stakeholders, including health providers, partners, and citizens.

Rogers acknowledges that the award would not have been possible without their dedicated partners’ support and their team’s passion and commitment.

“The award is an honour and for the recognition of our work alongside four other incredible organisations,” she said. “It would not have been possible without our dedicated partners’ support and our team’s passion and commitment.”

The recognition as a premier African social impact innovator is well-timed as Reach Digital Health has begun expanding into additional lower-to-middle-income countries, leveraging its experience and capability in developing, scaling and demonstrating the power of technology.

With the Skoll Award for Social Innovation, the organisation will continue to maximise its experience as a best-in-class digital health innovator and leverage the award to strengthen its partnerships to improve health across the continent.

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