By Shruti Menon Seeboo
In a bold move to tackle long-standing challenges in the health and social care sector, a new national initiative has emerged in Mauritius. Spearheaded by Edyta Ozbek, NouZetwals—meaning “Our Stars” in Mauritian Creole—is a non-profit organisation dedicated to celebrating the nation’s unsung heroes and building a culture where pride, compassion, and excellence are at the heart of care.
The initiative’s flagship event, the Health and Social Care Excellence Summit & Awards, is set to become a landmark national celebration. The inaugural ceremony will take place on 25 April 2026, setting the stage for an annual tradition of honouring excellence. But as Ozbek explains, the programme is about much more than a single event; it’s about initiating a cultural shift to build a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system for generations to come.
The Challenge: A System Under Strain and the Imperative for Change
The Mauritian health and social care system, while full of dedicated individuals across public, private, and academic sectors, faces several persistent challenges: fragmented systems, limited recognition, low morale and retention issues, and minimal platforms for sharing innovation.
Ozbek notes a shared aspiration within the healthcare community — to nurture a culture of mentorship, support, and shared growth. “I would love my son to become a doctor, and I want him to join a healthcare system where he is mentored, supported, and empowered to flourish,” a doctor on the steering committee shared. The mission of NouZetwals is to create a new national picture where public and private care professionals are celebrated and seen, replacing the walls between public and private care with bridges of collaboration.
The urgency is underscored by global data: the World Health Organization (WHO) projects a worldwide shortage of over 11 million healthcare professionals by 2030, a figure detailed in its Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. Ozbek, wearing her “recruitment hat,” noted that this shortage is “just growing every year, everywhere around the world” and that “unless we all start growing more of our own, we will just keep pinching them from other countries and filling our own gap.”
The Solution: A Unifying Platform for Excellence and Regional Leadership
The Health and Social Care Excellence Summit & Awards will provide a transformational, unifying platform for the entire health and social care ecosystem.
- The Daytime Summit: This inclusive knowledge-sharing platform will bring together national and international leaders, students, and innovators to address shared challenges. International organisations, including the National Health Service (NHS) UK and Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), are set to participate.
- The Evening Awards Ceremony: This prestigious event promotes peer-to-peer recognition, honouring outstanding contributions and fostering a spirit of mutual learning and unity between institutions and individuals.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness in Mauritius recognises this initiative as a powerful opportunity to showcase regional leadership and foster collaboration across the Indian Ocean Rim. Discussions have already begun with partners in Maldives and Seychelles, with aspirations to extend the programme’s positive impact throughout the Southern African Development Community. As Ozbek affirmed, “We’re thrilled to see Mauritius inspiring others to join this shared vision — the more communities that benefit, the stronger our collective impact will be.”
The steering committee has already onboarded the Chief Nursing Officer of the Eswatini Ministry of Health and is discussing participation from Zambia and Ghana.
Ozbek notes that while Ghana expressed strong interest in the programme, the priority remains Mauritius, “setting solid foundations that we can then replicate” in future years across the continent.
Key Benefits: Lifting the Nation’s Care Community
The initiative offers structured benefits that extend far beyond the awards night:
For the Workforce and Students: Recognition is expected to drive renewed motivation, self-worth, and pride among professionals. For students, it offers early and meaningful recognition of effort and character, along with enhanced visibility and opportunities for mentorship and employment. The long-term impact is intended to include better workforce engagement and wellbeing, fostering pride and a shared vision across the national health and care landscape.
For the Ministry, Government, and Communities: The initiative provides the Ministry of Health and Wellness with a powerful narrative of progress and national pride, strengthening the National Health Workforce Strategy. For communities, it builds greater public trust and confidence in the care system, raises awareness of the remarkable individuals who dedicate their lives to care, and serves as an inspiration for families to guide their children towards healthcare professions.
For Cross-Sector and International Relationships: NouZetwals creates enhanced dialogue and collaboration between private and public providers. This shared learning promotes a national standard of excellence, independent of organisational affiliation, and aligns Mauritius with global standards of excellence.
Beyond the Awards: Building a Legacy of Excellence in Leadership and Compassion
NouZetwals plans to create lasting change with legacy programmes that extend beyond the awards ceremony, including organisational culture and leadership development, pastoral care, and resilience training.
A core component is Mentorship and Youth Engagement. The organisation plans to use a mascot campaign, inspired by a steering committee member who focuses on neurodiversity in workplaces, to instil pride and interest in children whose parents work in care.
Ozbek detailed the goal: “We’re going to go to schools and we’re going to talk to children and say, hey, is your mummy a nutritionist? Yes, your mummy is a star, there’s a toy for you. Is your daddy a nurse? Yes, your daddy is a star, there’s a toy for you.” The aim is to ” spark early curiosity and pride in healthcare, inspiring young people to follow in their parents’ footsteps and view caring professions as aspirational and impactful career paths”.
This approach also highlights “the invisible professions, like how many adults or kids can tell us what an occupational therapist does for example, you know, or podiatrist,” who are “equally important”.
Other Key Legacy Initiatives Include:
- International Workforce Integration Support – Promoting smooth relocation, cultural integration, and long-term retention of internationally trained and professionals.
- Patient Communication Training “Compassionate Connections” – Empowering staff to deliver emotionally intelligent, patient-centred care through enhanced communication and empathy training.
- Scholarships & Career Advancement Awards – Providing CPD opportunities and scholarships for award winners and rising stars to continue their professional growth.
- Knowledge Exchange Forums – Establishing regular, collaborative spaces for sharing innovation and best practice across organisations.
Seeking Sponsorship and Global Support
The initiative is actively seeking support in several areas, as Ozbek noted that “everything hinges on sponsorships.” The organisation is also seeking help in raising awareness through articles, media outlets, and social media amplification.
Specific support is being sought for judges from Mauritius, Australia, and New Zealand. Furthermore, advisory support from Singapore is highly valued, as “Singapore is really what every healthcare system aspires to around the world.”
As Ozbek concluded, “It’s going to take a nation to lift the healthcare community”. The long-term impact is a cultural shift toward valuing all contributors and building a legacy platform for unity, mentorship, and celebration.
