2025 UHC Day Champion
Itai Rusike
Executive Director of the Community Working Group on Health, Zimbabwe
Browse other champions
- Countries driving UHC progress
- Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder and President of UNITE - Parliamentarian’s Network for Global Health
- Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Vice Chair and Senior Advisor, International Health Policy Program Foundation, Thailand
- Solange Mbaye, Regional Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Senegal
- Levy Mkandawire, Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Zambia
- Concepta Kwaleyela, President of the Midwives Association of Zambia
- Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, Former President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kenya
- Hester Mkwinda Nyasulu, Country Manager for Amref, Malawi
- Habibou Ouedraogo, Health Economist, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso
- Hon. Hyun-Young Shin, Congresswoman, 21st National Assembly of Republic of Korea
For more than twenty years, I’ve seen how people-centred, rights-based health systems are built from the ground up—through meaningful participation, fair financing and strong political commitment. On UHC Day, we are reminded that leaving no one behind is not a slogan but a responsibility we must deliver on every day.
Itai Rusike is the Executive Director of the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) in Zimbabwe, where he has spent more than two decades advancing community participation in health and championing equitable, people-centred health systems. He previously served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Public Health Advisory Board of Zimbabwe (2010–2016) and played a leading role in the national universal health coverage (UHC) agenda as Chairperson of the Zimbabwe UHC Movement, coordinating the country’s annual UHC Day commemorations.
His commitment to UHC extends beyond Zimbabwe. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the Coordinator of the African Platform for Universal Health Coverage, strengthening regional collaboration and advocacy. Itai has also been an active member of global health and development mechanisms, including serving as Zimbabwe’s Focal Person for the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) Africa, where he supports engagement with donor embassies and government on Global Fund replenishment efforts. He was also a member of the Advisory Group of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) for UHC2030 from 2017 to 2021.
Nationally, he continues to contribute to major policy and strategy processes as Chairperson of the Zimbabwe GFF CSO Coalition on SRMNCAH+N (2020–present), a member of the Zimbabwe Health Financing Technical Working Group, and a member of the Zimbabwe National Health Strategy Steering Committee (2026–2030). He also supported the logistical coordination of the Zimbabwe National High-Level Health Financing Dialogue held in November 2024.
Across all these roles, Itai Rusike is recognized for his leadership in mobilizing communities, civil society, and policymakers to strengthen health systems, promote human rights, and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage in Zimbabwe and across the African region.
