Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA)

The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) is a network of civic/community based organisations that aim to collectively enhance community participation in health, in Zimbabwe.

The CWGH was formed in early 1998 to take up health issues of common concern. There are 35 national member organisations in the CWGH network, representing various social groups across the country.

In 1998, CWGH began a program of work to disseminate information about, and to organise civic group members around, issues relating to health. To date, various community meetings, and discussions, on health have been carried out.

The organisation has also prepared policy inputs on health issues and carried out advocacy on these issues, using direct engagement and media campaigns. This includes the demand for government to develop pro-poor health budgets, and to honour the Abuja commitments of 15% national budgets allocation towards health.

The CWGH also supports community actions on health and engages policy makers, through the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Health. The organisation is currently operating in 25 districts of Zimbabwe.