Women and Children First
Joanna Drazdzewska is an experienced professional in health programme management and advocacy, currently serving as the Head of Programmes & Advocacy at Women and Children First (UK) since May 2018. In this role, Joanna provides technical and operational oversight for programmes focused on community mobilisation for maternal and newborn health and sexual and reproductive health, while advocating for evidence-based approaches to reach more communities. Previously, Joanna worked as a Grants Manager, offering technical advice and project management for health initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Prior to that, Joanna gained extensive experience at Options Consultancy Services as a Programme Manager, overseeing large-scale health systems strengthening programmes with a focus on social inclusion and community-based approaches. Joanna holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Development Studies from SOAS University of London, completed in 2009.
This person is not in any teams
This person is not in any offices
Women and Children First
We want a world where all women, children and young people can survive and thrive. Too often they face problems that can harm, kill or hold them back, like preventable, treatable diseases or issues in pregnancy. Women and Children First are pioneers at empowering local communities in the world’s poorest countries. We enable women to take the lead in achieving this. We guide them to overcome their problems, setting up women’s health groups, bringing men and women together to find the answers they need. They come up with life-saving ideas like bicycle ambulances, sourcing and distributing mosquito nets, and cleaning water sources. They create long-term, sustainable solutions. Our approach is recommended by the World Health Organisation. We have reduced newborn deaths by 33%, maternal deaths by 49% and saved over 6,000 lives to date – and counting.