UGHE's Hamwe Festival To Explore Mental Health, Social Justice, And The Arts

KIGALI, Rwanda, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is pleased to announce their second annual Hamwe Festival will take place virtually November 11 - 15, 2020.  Hamwe Festival celebrates and encourages the contributions of creative industries in the global health field. This year, the festival will exclusively be held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under this year's core theme of Social Justice and Mental Health, the dynamic five day event will unite artists and global health experts from over 20 countries globally to will give live virtual performances, contribute to panel discussions, and curate digital exhibitions over Zoom and  live-streamed to UGHE and Hamwe Festival social media channels. The opening ceremony for Hamwe Festival will take place on Nov. 11 at 6:30PM CAT, and will feature remarks from representatives from the Government of Rwanda, UGHE Chancellor and Partners In Health Co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer, UGHE Vice Chancellor Prof. Agnes Binagwaho, Partners In Health CEO Dr. Sheila Davis, Wellcome Trust Head of Mental Health Priority Area Prof. Miranda Wolpert, and more.

"There is an urgent need to bring together perspectives from the creative and health sectors to offer innovative perspectives at tackling the global issue of mental health," said Prof. Binagwaho. "At UGHE, we are building this bridge through Hamwe Festival and hope to create a dialogue about the ways we can improve health care by integrating the arts."

Hamwe Festival will feature a variety of sessions through the course of the event, including artists such as award-winning South African artist Tsoku Maela, Nigerian documentary photographer Etinosa Yvonne, Rwandan singer-songwriter Kaya, Moroccan poet and novelist Soukaina Habiballah, and many more. Expert speakers include Victoria Tischler, professor of arts and health at the University of West London, Lisa Ndejeru, a Rwandan artist and psychotherapist, Mary Bitta, a Kenyan mental health researcher, and other mental health experts from around the world..

This year, Hamwe Festival is excited to announce a partnership with Wellcome, the independent global charitable foundation, as part of Mindscapes, their international cultural programme about mental health. Wellcome supports scientists, takes on big health challenges, campaigns for better science & helps everyone get involved in research. Hamwe Festival embodies these values through the provision of a creative outlet where implementors and artists discuss better, more innovative ways to improve health care through the arts.

"We are delighted to be collaborating with UGHE on this important festival," said Prof. Miranda Wolpert of Wellcome Trust. "Bringing together mental health science and the creative industries can help bring fresh insights and opportunities to advance Wellcome's vision for a world in which no one is held back by mental health problems."

Hamwe Festival believes that including artists in the design and implementation of more health programs can be a catalyst for action against seemingly intractable health challenges and looks forward to continuing to build this platform to encourage more collaboration and innovation.

For more information and registration details please visit ughe.org/hamwe.

About The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)
The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is a global health sciences university built in Rwanda focused on training health professionals to deliver quality health care in an inclusive manner including the world's most marginalized communities. UGHE graduates are doctors, nurses, researchers, and public health and policy experts. They are problem solvers with a core commitment to work to improve the reach of quality health care for every individual in every corner of the globe.

About Wellcome
Wellcome exists to improve health by helping great ideas to thrive. We support researchers, we take on big health challenges, we campaign for better science, and we help everyone get involved with science and health research. We are a politically and financially independent foundation.

Contact:
AUTUMN MARIE (KGL FWD)
[email protected]

SOURCE The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)