Winner
Dr Aziza Sesay
Summary of work
First, she translates clinical expertise into measurable behaviour change at scale. Through Talks with Dr Sesay and her multilingual screening videos featuring 25 clinicians speaking in their native languages, she has reached millions and prompted individuals to seek screening, diagnoses, and care they had previously delayed, with many crediting her resources with saving their lives. Within her own practice, voluntary education talks have measurably improved screening uptake in an area with historically low engagement.
Second, she challenges stigma through bold, creative innovation. The "They Are Not Bad Words" campaign evolved from a not-for-profit T-shirt initiative into a multi-platform movement featuring a first-of-its-kind gynaecology-themed obstacle course, an educational song, and crochet anatomical pieces, normalising taboo language while funding menstrual health workshops in Sierra Leone that teach communities to make reusable period products.
Third, she advances equity through sustained, visible leadership. As Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK, a former Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, and ambassador for multiple national health charities, she mentors underrepresented talent, contributes to parliamentary discussions and national policy on women's health, and provides visible representation of Black women in medicine, shifting culture across clinical, corporate, and policy settings.
Key Achievements:
Dr Sesay's flagship innovation, the "They Are Not Bad Words" campaign, is challenging shame around gynaecological health by normalising anatomical language. What began as a not-for-profit T-shirt initiative grew into a multi-platform movement featuring crochet vulva keyrings, a first-of-its-kind gynaecology-themed obstacle course attended by over 100 participants, and an educational song. The campaign generated hundreds of thousands of interactions, and funds raised directly support menstrual health workshops in Sierra Leone, teaching communities to make reusable period products and delivering vital health education.
Through Talks with Dr Sesay, she has reached millions with evidence-based education on women's health, cancer screening, mental well-being, and health inequity. She has received numerous personal messages from individuals reporting that her resources literally saved their lives, prompting them to seek screening, assessment, or support they had previously delayed. She now has nearly 44k followers on Instagram.
She produced a number of multilingual videos covering all three UK national screening programmes, which reached hundreds of thousands and directly addressed language barriers to screening uptake. Within her own GP practice, located in an area with historically low screening uptake, her voluntary education talks have led patients who had never previously attended screening to book and complete their tests.
Dr Sesay has created and consulted on public health video content with NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the World Health Organisation. She speaks in parliamentary settings and contributes to reports that inform national policy on women's health and health equity. She also co-organised and hosted the inaugural CURA-H Awards, celebrating women in healthcare who are often overlooked.
Her contributions to public health and digital education have been formally recognised with the Points of Light Award, reflecting her status as a trusted, influential, and innovative leader in health education and advocacy.
