Minackshi joined the WFH PACT Advocacy Academy to learn how to advocate more confidently and effectively. “I wanted to understand how to engage with decision-makers and contribute to strengthening our healthcare system,” she explains. The Academy helped her turn intention into action. One session that stood out for Minackshi was on stakeholder mapping, which taught her how to identify key actors, understand their influence, and adapt messages accordingly. Learning alongside advocates from around the world reinforced that, while contexts differ, the goal is shared: ensuring quality care for all people with bleeding disorders.
Start small but stay committed. Build relationships and keep moving forward. Change takes time, but it is possible.
—Minackshi Dhurmoo Luchmun, Program Coordinator, Haemophilia Association of Mauritius
During her time with the PACT Advocacy Academy, Minackshi developed a project to address a major gap in care in Mauritius: the lack involvement of a hematologist to oversee hemophilia care. Although diagnosis and treatment were available, patients often lacked specialized long-term guidance by a specialist. Working with people with hemophilia (PWH), healthcare professionals, and the Ministry of Health, she—together with the Haemophilia Association of Mauritius team—advocated for the appointment of a hematologist. Their persistence resulted in establishing a new service at the local hemophilia treatment centre where now, twice a year, a hematologist from Réunion Island travels to Mauritius to consult patients and provide training to local physicians.
This change has strengthened care, improved treatment plans, and increased confidence among healthcare providers. “The real work was in the follow-up,” Minackshi reflects. “Consistency, communication, and trust made the difference.”
Minackshi continues to coordinate the hematologist visits, organize training sessions, and support emerging advocates. Her advice for others is grounded in experience: “Start small but stay committed. Build relationships and keep moving forward. Change takes time, but it is possible.”
To find out more about the WFH PACT Program, click here.
The PACT Program is supported by funding from Roche and Sanofi, our visionary partners; CSL Behring and Pfizer, our leadership partners.
This story is part of a series about leaders and advocates who are making an impact in the world through their involvement in the WFH Path to Access to Care and Treatment (PACT) Advocacy Academy and their advocacy for the community. To read other stories from this series, see the table below:
PACT Advocacy Academy member | Country | Story link |
Tahani Ali, MD | Syria | |
Nibia Gómez | Uruguay | |
Najmul Alam | Bangladesh |