Awards for outstanding contributions to public health presented during the 76th World Health Assembly

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During a moving ceremony at the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, awards were presented to individuals and institutions from around the world for their outstanding contributions to public health.

“The 2023 Public Health Awards and Accolades celebrate individuals who have made a significant contribution to global health and whose work has extended well beyond the normal call of duty,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, CEO of the WHO. “At a time when the world faces many challenges, each one is an inspiration and a reminder of the progress that can be made to improve the health and well-being of all.”

The call for candidate nominations for each award is sent out each year after the close of the World Health Assembly. Nominations can be made by the national health administrations of a WHO Member State and by any former recipient of the awards. in his 152^{North Dakota} session in January 2023, the Executive Board designated the winners of the 2023 awards, based on the proposals made by the selection panels dedicated to each award.

The seven laureates have been selected to celebrate their unique role and contribution to public health in their countries and around the world. They come from four WHO Regions: for the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Five winners are individuals, and three of them are women. In addition, the two institutions that have received a 2023 award are led by women.

2023 Award Winners

Sasakawa Health Award

The 2023 Laureates: The Nick Simons Institute from Nepal and Professor Vichai Tienthavorn from Thailand

Nick Simons Institute is a non-governmental organization whose goal is to improve health care in rural Nepal. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal, the Institute has trained 7,000 medical professionals (such as midwives and anesthesia assistants) in rural areas, who now provide the most needed services to local communities in the absence of a sufficient pool. of general practitioners. practitioners and specialists. The Institute has provided essential equipment and additional health personnel to alleviate the lack of medical professionals in 44 hospitals, and supported the design of an action plan to improve the quality of services in more than 100 rural hospitals. The Institute also carries out research and advocacy activities to shape perceptions and influence policies affecting rural health workers in Nepal.

Professor Vichai Tienthavorn is president of the Praboromarajchanok Institute of the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. One of the national initiatives that he has spearheaded is an innovative health promotion policy to help address thalassemia, and his work resulted in the adoption of an effective national policy for the prevention and control of thalassemia. . He also designed an effective communication tool and screening method to help citizens adapt their behaviors to prevent and control diabetes and hypertension. As a result of this work, a national policy with a significant positive impact on the burden of disease in the country was adopted. Professor Tienthavorn also played a key role in addressing the challenge of the uneven distribution of health workers, especially in the border and rural areas of Thailand. He led the establishment of partnerships with village schools to recruit high school students, train them, and help them establish themselves locally after completing an accelerated medical curriculum.

United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Award

2023 Prize Laureate: Dr. María Asunción Silvestre of the Philippines

In addition to being a renowned clinician and researcher, Dr. Maria Asunción Silvestre is a passionate advocate of exclusive breastfeeding and the founder of Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina (Maternal and Child Health) – a Philippine non-governmental organization. Dr. Silvestre has used her experience as a community practitioner to conduct research and design a protocol to help improve the health of mothers and newborns. The pioneering protocol she created outlines a simple set of actions to be taken by healthcare workers caring for a mother during labor and her newborn after birth. This protocol, which is applicable in all resource settings, helps close the health equity gap in maternal and child care. In partnership with the national government of the Philippines, as well as 17 countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region, she has played a key role in scaling up the first hug Campaign for Essential Early Care of the Newborn: a set of simple, cost-effective WHO-recommended interventions.

His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Award for Research in Health Care of the Elderly and Health Promotion

2023 Award Winners: China National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention; and Dr. Abla Mehio Sibai from Lebanon

The National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), houses a department focused on the health of the elderly since 2013. It offers a wide range of programs and activities that promote the promotion of the health of the elderly, ranging from a better understanding of the causes of morbidity and mortality to surveillance non-communicable diseases, surveys, registration and investigation of deaths, to customized programs to promote health literacy and evidence-based policies. Initiatives include a dedicated toolkit for older people, capacity building for 2,000 primary care staff, a health promotion week dedicated to older people, and an innovative project to improve the mental and cognitive health of older people. more than half a million older people in urban and urban areas. rural zones.

Dr. Abla Mehio Sibai is Professor of Epidemiology and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He has made an outstanding contribution to the health of older people in Lebanon and the region, developing a holistic approach to promoting healthy aging. He led the groundbreaking initiative to enroll nearly 600 seniors each year in the American University of Beirut’s University for Seniors, in addition to training public health professionals. Co-directed the landmark WHO Global Burden of Disease Study in Lebanon (2000) and conducted the first national survey on noncommunicable diseases and risk factors, informing advocacy, policy making and program planning for advocacy Of the health. Based on her numerous achievements, Dr. Sibai has developed the “National Strategy for Older People” in Lebanon (2020-2030). Dr. Sibai also created the Arab Network on Aging and the Center for Aging Studies to create links between research and policy at the national, regional and international levels.

Dr. LEE Jong-wook Memorial Award for Public Health

2023 Award Winner: Dr. Jorge Francisco Meneses from Guatemala

Having promoted community participation in hospital care for more than 20 years, Dr. Jorge Francisco Meneses establish community committees focused on the safety and satisfaction of patients, their families, and the community. Given the positive impact of his work on improving the quality of patient care, the patient-centered and ethical model of care he designed was expanded nationally. Currently, as the national supervisor of hospitals in Guatemala, she has designed a program to improve the quality of services for hospitalized patients and their families. Dr. Meneses has recently coordinated an innovative pilot project in the Southern Health Area of ​​Guatemala to build the first integrated national network of health services, with a priority focus on underserved communities. His work led to the adoption of a national strategy for integrated health service networks, the first in Central America.

Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion

2023 Prize Laureate: Dr. Mariam Athbi Al Jalahma from Bahrain

In addition to being the Executive Director of the Bahrain National Health Regulatory Authority, Dr Mariam Athbi Al Jalahma He has held various leadership positions in government and academic institutions in his country. Dr. Al Jalahma has played an important role in the development of numerous national and regional strategies and plans in the field of primary health care, child and adolescent health, chronic diseases and the fight against smoking. In her current role, Dr. Al Jalahma has led important successful initiatives, such as the national accreditation system for health institutions, the digital transformation of the National Health Regulatory Authority, and various initiatives leading to greater efficiency and excellence in healthcare. health sector. She is also a leading voice for health promotion through various channels in all the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.