YOUR WORK HELPS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SAVE A LIFE
Since the inception of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) 26 years ago, one of the most powerful and impactful tools used to reach all South Africans has been the media.
SADAG in partnership with Cipla, are therefore proud to announce the Cipla Mental Health Journalism Awards, to honour outstanding work which helps to create awareness, advocate change and empower people to seek help. Cipla will be sponsoring three Mental Health Journalism Fellowships for 2020, in the fields of print, broadcast and online journalism.
From 2004 to 2012, 16 South African journalists were awarded the Rosalynn Carter Center Mental Health Journalism Fellowships. Based on these fellowships offered by the Carter Center in Atlanta, USA, the Cipla Mental Health Journalism Awards require the entrants to submit a proposed project with the objective of increasing knowledge and helping to break the stigma associated with mental health.
Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa, says: “Over the past couple of years, Cipla has been working to shift the narrative from mental illness to mental health and break the stigma so that people can realise that there is help and there is hope. Mental health and the issues surrounding it are still largely misunderstood so there is dire need to educate people about the fact that the brain is also an organ which can become ill. In South Africa, specifically, mental health is not always considered newsworthy, is shrouded in stereotypes, and limited knowledge about the topic means generally only major psychiatric illnesses are placed under the spotlight.”
The three winners of this Fellowship will each receive a R20 000 cash prize. To enter, visit www.sadag.org for more details.
Online applications will close on Friday the 25th September and winners will be announced at the World Mental Health Day Press Conference on Thursday the 8th October 2020.
Entry criteria for the Cipla Mental Health Journalism Award 2020 include:
• Have at least three years’ experience in print, broadcast or online journalism (writing, reporting, editing, producing, filmmaking or broadcasting)
• Journalists must have buy-in from their editors/producers in terms of publishing/broadcasting their project work.
Journalists need to submit the following required application material:
• A detailed CV including their work history, a list of representative publications, membership in professional organisations, and major journalism prizes or awards
• An informal essay (maximum 1 000 words) with reasons for applying and how this Fellowship will benefit their work.
• An outline of the project title and proposed project plan. Discuss the significance of the topic and explain the feasibility of the project. Detail the potential impact on reducing the stigma and educating society on mental health.
• Samples of professional work: Submit up to three examples of your work, including articles on mental health issues.
• Letters of recommendation and support: Provide letters from two people endorsing your work and one letter from your publisher, editor, producer, manager, or director, supporting the application. Freelancers will need letters from the publications or stations that will be publishing or broadcasting their work.
• Material must be submitted electronically via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information on the above criteria, contact Kayla – The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) media liaison on 011 234 4837 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About Cipla:
Established in 1935, Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company focused on agile and sustainable growth, complex generics, and deepening portfolio in our home markets of India, South Africa, North America, and key regulated and emerging markets. Our strengths in the respiratory, antiretroviral, urology, cardiology, anti-infective and CNS segments are well-known. Our 46 manufacturing sites around the world produce 50+ dosage forms and 1,500+ products using cutting-edge technology platforms to cater to our 80+ markets. Cipla is ranked 3rd largest in pharma in India (IQVIA MAT Dec’19), 3rd largest in the pharma private market in South Africa (IQVIA MAT Dec’19), and is among the most dispensed generic players in the U.S. For over eight decades, making a difference to patients has inspired every aspect of Cipla’s work. Our paradigm-changing offer of a triple anti-retroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS at less than a dollar a day in Africa in 2001 is widely acknowledged as having contributed to bringing inclusiveness, accessibility and affordability to the centre of the HIV movement. A responsible corporate citizen, Cipla’s humanitarian approach to healthcare in pursuit of its purpose of ‘Caring for Life’ and deep-rooted community links wherever it is present make it a partner of choice to global health bodies, peers and all stakeholders. For more, please visit Cipla, or click on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
About Cipla South Africa:
Cipla Medpro South Africa (Pty) Limited (“Cipla Medpro”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cipla Limited, India (“Cipla”) and third largest pharmaceutical company in the private sector in South Africa. Through Cipla’s ethos of ‘Caring for Life’, Cipla Medpro produces world-class medicines at affordable prices for the public and private sectors, advancing healthcare for all South Africans.
For more information, visit www.cipla.co.za/
