A CLERIC from South Africa has been elected to chair the
Anglican Health Network (AHN). He is Canon Desmond Lambrechts who
advises the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Thabo Makgoba,
on health policy, and chairs the South African AIDS Council.
He heads a new board of provincial representatives to the AHN,
an initiative of the 2008 Lambeth Conference. Its aim is to
encourage Anglicans worldwide who work in health to share learning,
create networks, and collaborate with health services at a global
level. It has particular support in Africa.
Faith communities commanded an enormous spiritual and social
capital, and needed to reassert their value as health-care partners
with governments, the AHN's international conference on Faith in
Health and Healing, held in Birmingham last year, concluded.
Canon Lambrechts has emphasised the importance of listening to
the stories, achievements, and challenges of the provinces as the
organisation moves forward.
"We will undertake to share best-practice models; perhaps find
resources to replicate them in other contexts; and provide support
and prayer to one another as we share the common vision of the
Health Network," he said.