Many health interventions adopt a top-down approach, failing to consider community priorities, resources, and expertise.

These programmes often focus narrowly on formal health systems or specific indicators, neglecting the broader determinants of health and community systems that support health and well-being.  

This combination of factors results in significant resource wastage and persistent health inequalities—despite $161 billion spent annually on global aid (OECD).

At Stema, we believe there’s a better way.

We support NGOs, CBOs and health system actors to partner with communities in co-creating vibrant, healthy communities..

Community Positive Health (CPH) is Stema’s unique participatory approach for advancing health in marginalised settings.

Our CPH approach begins by working alongside communities to uncover the values, strengths and assets that already support health and well-being. Together, we then explore the most pressing challenges and how they relate to what communities already do well. This shared understanding becomes the foundation for co-designing solutions that are locally grounded and community-led.