An industrious and benevolent UK-based Malawian nurse has been decorated with the 2024 International Human Rights and Nursing Ethics Human Awards for her outstanding contributions to the development of stroke care in both Malawi and the UK.
The colourful event to honour and recognise the three was held amid glizt and glamour in London recently which Dr. Malewezi attended in person the Nursing Ethics Journal Human Rights accolades.
The Malawian-born and Liverpool-based philanthropic registered nurse and stroke care specialist, Dr. Emmie Malewezi was awarded alongside two other nurses, Fillipo Gatti, a Chief Nurse at the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva for his work in Gaza and Patrick J. Boyle, who is based in Ireland for his work with asylum seekers and refugees.
Dr. Malewezi’s award was presented to her by Dr. Ryan Kemp, Head of Therapies, Central and North West London, National Health Services (NHS) Trust.
The award came with a £10,000, which will be used to advance the work done in the south-east African nation, Malawi.
A third year student nurse from London Brunel University, who was inspired by Emmie’s work, read out her citation at the ceremony.
The Stroke Support Organisation (SSO) Malawi was co-founded by Dr. Malewezi a Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer in Nurse Education and Dr. George Chimatiro and is the only government registered stroke charity in the country.
The organisation’s mission is to partner with the government in the reduction of stroke burden through prevention, treatment and long-term care.
Using this forum, Dr. Malewezi has advocated for the rights of stroke survivors through engagement with key stakeholders; this includes the government’s ministry of health, the private and corporate sector.
Through the building of alliances, Dr. Malewezi together with her co-founder, Dr. Chimatiro, has led to the establishment of a Life After Stroke Centre in Malawi, which is due to open later this year.
This aims of the centre are to address the gap in community rehabilitation and long-term support for stroke survivors, reaching the poorest living with stroke.
A significant aspect of Emmie’s work has been improving stroke awareness; taking part in radio and television programmes to discuss stroke prevention and how to support people following a stroke.
As a member of the World Stroke Organisation, African Stroke Organisation and UK Stroke Nursing Forum, Dr. Malewezi, who is wife to Justin Mayambo Malewezi, has also provided insights and connections which have helped inform hard to reach communities.
Through her work with the SSO (Malawi) Dr Malewezi is aiming to improve the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of stroke care in Malawi, by partnering with the government and other stakeholders, alongside advocating for improvements in stroke care.
Drawing on both her professional and personal experience, Dr Malewezi, along with her key collaborators in Malawi, is at the forefront of championing the role of nurses, the voluntary sector and people with lived experience, in exploring and developing pragmatic solutions to the increasing burden of stroke in the country.
As a member of the international research collaboration, Organised Stroke Care across Income Levels, Dr Malewezi is committed to developing a stroke care curriculum for nurses practising in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Malewezi is also leading work to establish a life after stroke centre in Malawi that will contribute to addressing the gap in community rehabilitation and long-term support for stroke survivors.
At the heart of this project is a commitment to ensuring the services are accessible and acceptable in the context of Malawi.
On receiving the Award, Dr Malewezi said: “It is such an honour and feel truly humbled to receive the 2024 Nursing Ethics Journal Human Rights and Nursing Award for our stroke work in Malawi.”
Since 2001, both awards have been presented annually to two nurses globally but for the first time this year, the awards were presented to three nurses as the selection panel felt that all the three were deserving of the award.
The Awards were first given in 2001 and have since gained in momentum and they have been given to nurses working in different settings, from the Gaza Strip to Australia, from the Republic of Ireland to Cambodia, Brazil and India on projects involving the poorest people, as well as pioneering innovative care, active social advocating and teaching health care personnel in all types of settings.
The Human Rights and Nursing Awards are presented to any nurse in recognition of an outstanding commitment to human rights and exemplifying the essence of nursing’s philosophy of humanity to further their work.
The aim of the Awards is to give nurses visibility and to celebrate those whose work fosters international respect for human rights and dignity of people everywhere.
The Awards are presented each year during an official ceremony that takes place during the Nursing Ethics and International Ethics in Care Conference.
“It is such an honour and I feel truly humbled.”
Dr. Emmie Malewezi
2024 Human Rights and Nursing Award winner
