Landmark inaugural event to celebrate the pivotal contribution of Black healthcare workers in the NHS
Our partner, the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), is hosting the first Black Healthcare Awards celebrating the excellent contribution of Black healthcare professionals nationwide. Here the Rev Canon Charles Kwaku-Odoi, CAHN’s CEO, explains the significance of these awards at a time when health inequalities are stark.
Our goal is to shine a light on the remarkable dedication and resilience of Black healthcare professionals. This event is not just a celebration, but a call to action to continue striving for health equity.
Rev Canon Charles Kwaku-Odoi, CEO, Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN)
The Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) is a Black-led organisation established in 2017 with the mission to eradicate health inequalities and wider disparities for Caribbean and African people within a generation.
We collaborate with community groups, faith networks, and cross-sector organisations to ensure Black voices are at the heart of public policy and practice in systems. Our goal is to build community resilience and foster social and racial equity.
CAHN is dedicated to addressing key health conditions that are evidence of stark inequalities among Caribbean and African people. The Black community has worse outcomes across many of the conditions you can see in the diagram below.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) — Black people are more likely to have the risk factors for several CVD related conditions. Some of these risk factors include high blood pressure (Hypertension) kidney disease & high cholesterol
- Stroke — Black people are twice more likely to have a stroke, which for the whole population, costs the economy £22 billion in England.
- Maternal mortality — Black women are more likely to die in child birth compared to the general population
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus, mental illness, cancers such as prostate cancer — the likelihood of Black people contracting and not adopting treatment is much higher than across the wider population.
For CAHN it is important that we focus on prevention and early detection of those health conditions that we know affect Black people disproportionately.
There are several ways in which we work to address health inequalities — for us adopting an upstream approach that works in collaboration and in partnership with providers (including our strategic partners, commissioners, researchers and policy making) to ensure that we are part of the direction of travel to improve outcomes for the community.
Reflecting on our Windrush Day 2024 Celebration
Hosted at Alexandra Park on 22nd June 2024, the event was a dynamic blend of cultural heritage, community spirit, and health advocacy. Attendees enjoyed Caribbean music, dance, storytelling, and the rich flavours of Caribbean cuisine.
Greater Manchester, home to many descendants of the Windrush generation, witnessed an outpouring of gratitude and remembrance. The event also featured health professionals offering screenings and health checks, underscoring CAHN’s commitment to improving health outcomes for Black communities. We were delighted that Wes Streeting, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, then in a shadow role, travelled to Manchester to join in the celebration, acknowledging the significant contribution of the Black community and yet the unfortunate injustice of the Windrush scandal.
The Windrush generation, having arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1971, played a crucial role in rebuilding post-war Britain, particularly within the NHS. This historical intertwining highlights the pivotal contributions of Black Caribbean and African community to the NHS, which continues today through the tireless efforts of Black healthcare professionals.
The Inaugural Black Healthcare Awards
We are honoured to host this historic event. It’s a testament to the incredible talent within our communities and a step towards recognizing and addressing the challenges faced by Black healthcare workers.
Dr. Faye Ruddock, Chair of CAHN
Building on the legacy of the Windrush generation, CAHN is thrilled to announce the first-ever Black Healthcare Awards after 76 years of the existence of the NHS. The event is set to take place on Saturday, 27th July 2024 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. This national event celebrates the excellence of Black healthcare professionals across the UK and it will become an annual event — next year’s Awards will take place on 19th July 2025.
The rationale behind these awards is to acknowledge and honour the outstanding contributions of Black clinicians, including doctors, nurses and Allied Health Professionals (AHP). These clinicians work tirelessly in their day jobs and give back to the community to reduce disparities. By celebrating these achievements, we hope to inspire future generations and highlight the importance of diversity in healthcare.
We invite everyone to join us in this momentous celebration of excellence in Black healthcare. The Black Health Care Awards will be a night to remember, filled with inspiring stories, distinguished guests, and a shared commitment to health equity.
For more information about the event, please visit https://healthcareawards.cahn
By coming together, we honour the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a future where health inequalities are eradicated, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive and celebrated.
I am delighted to be a Patron of the very first Black Healthcare Awards and to support this inaugural celebration that is recognising the many talents and contributions from our Black healthcare professionals. Over the last 76 years, Britain has had many people from across the Caribbean and African Diaspora giving their total commitment to healthcare. Our hospitals and healthcare services are rich and diverse, with those from our communities working across all healthcare roles.
Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE LD, Patron of CAHN
The Windrush event in Manchester and the upcoming Black Health Care Awards encapsulate CAHN’s mission to celebrate and support Black communities across the UK.
We are excited to see the continued impact of these initiatives as we strive to build a more equitable healthcare system. For more details about our work visit www.cahn.org.uk.
