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Recognizing outstanding achievements with proven impact for health gains in countries [1]

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Date: 2023-05

The prizes are established either in the name of eminent health professionals and international figures or by prominent foundations that commit to support international and global public health innovation and success.

Sasakawa Health Prize

2023 laureates: Professor Tienthavorn from Thailand, and the Nick Simons Institute from Nepal

“I now present this prize with my deep respect to the outstanding work of both recipients and my desire that they will continue to work as pioneers in further advancement of primary health care”, said Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy, when awarding the prizes to the two laureates.

Pictured here from left: Hon Chris Fearn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health of Malta and WHA76 President; Dr Archana Amatya of Nepal, Executive Director of the Nick Simons Institute; WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy. © WHO / Pierre Albouy

The Nick Simons Institute is a nongovernmental organization aiming to improve health care and fill health workforce gaps in rural areas of Nepal. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal, it has trained 7000 medical professionals (such as midwives and anaesthetic assistants) in rural areas, to enable them to provide the services that are most needed by the local population in the absence of a sufficient pool of general practitioners and specialists. The Institute has supplied essential equipment to 44 hospitals, ensured the presence of human resources to help alleviate the lack of medical professionals in rural areas, and helped for building an action plan for service quality improvement in more than 100 hospitals.

“This is the first time that a health champion from Nepal has been awarded this prize - which makes it even more special for us, motivating the country to progress further on, with innovative solutions for primary health care in rural areas.”, said Dr Archana Amatya, Executive Director of the Nick Simons Institute. “We feel extremely honored and receiving this prize is indeed a significant achievement. My utmost respect goes out to the entire team whose efforts have made the Institute achieve its success over the years. This award motivates us to do better in the days to come.”

Pictured here from left: Hon Chris Fearn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health of Malta and WHA76 President; Professor Vichai Tienthavorn, President of the Praboromarajchanok Institute at the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand; WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy. © WHO / Pierre Albouy

Professor Vichai Tienthavorn is President of the Praboromarajchanok Institute at the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. One major initiative he led is an innovative health promotion approach to tackling thalassemia, which has resulted in the adoption of an effective national policy for thalassemia prevention and control. Another impactful initiative stemmed from his effective communications tool which helps individuals adapt behaviours so that they prevent and control diabetes and hypertension. A national policy was formulated and endorsed as a result, helping reduce the general burden of disease in the country. Professor Tienthavorn is also a champion in addressing the challenge of the maldistribution of the health workforce, especially in border and rural areas of the country.

“This is a most fortunate moment in my life”, said Professor Vichai Tienthavorn when accepting the Prize. ”The Praboromrajchanok Institute (PBRI) bears the name of Prince Mahidol, the father of Thailand’s modern medicine and public health. PBRI trains 4000 nurses annually. We offer health and public health trainings to students from rural marginalized areas, at the rural primary care facilities. My never-ending effort will continue. The award is not only for me but also a high recognition for the entire PBRI team.”

United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize

2023 winner: Dr Maria Asuncion Silvestre, Philippines

“The aim of the United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize is to motivate health workers, including scientists, researchers, workers and specialists”, said Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, when delivering the prize on behalf of the UAE Health Foundation, “in order to make further achievements that benefit health in its various sectors and to contribute with the United Nations system in general and the World Health Organization in particular to the implementation of projects and programmes that strengthen health for all around the world and address health challenges globally.”

Pictured here from left: Hon Chris Fearn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health of Malta and WHA76 President; Dr Maria Asuncion Silvestre from the Philippines; WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention of the United Arab Emirates. © WHO / Pierre Albouy

Dr Maria Asuncion Silvestre is a renowned clinician and researcher, a passionate advocate for exclusive breastfeeding and the founder of a nongovernmental organization “Health of Mother and Child”. She has used her experience as a practitioner in her community and her findings as a researcher to improve the health of mothers and newborns. She designed a pioneering protocol consisting of a simple set of choreographed actions for health workers attending a mother during delivery and her newborn immediately after birth and during the first week of the child’s life. This affordable Essential Intrapartum and Newborn Care Protocol helps to bridge the health equity gap. Her work has helped save lives at national level and beyond. In collaboration with her national government and 17 other countries of the WHO Western Pacific Region, Dr Silvestre scaled up the “First Embrace” campaign for Early Essential Newborn Care, a set of simple WHO-recommended and cost-effective interventions.

“Nonseparated, the mother/newborn pair is our first food system. We should protect it as passionately and as furiously as we protect our agricultural lands, our coral reefs, our rainforests”, said Dr Maria Asuncion Silvestre at the award ceremony. “We sought to “rechoreograph” actions in the first minutes to hours after birth, eliminating unnecessary actions, so we formulated a timebound sequence of steps. Many health facilities in my country and elsewhere implemented the Protocol and reaped the benefits. Evidence shows that receiving at least one of the four core steps was protective, the more elements of essential care received, the more newborn survival improved. Breastfeeding saves lives.”

State of Kuwait “His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for Research in Health Care for the Elderly and in Health Promotion”

2023 awardees: The National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, China, and Dr Abla Mehio Sibai, Lebanon

In his address to the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly and the winners, H.E. Dr Ahmed Abdulwahab Ahmed Al-Awadhi - Minister of Health of the State of Kuwait, said: “This Prize and its 2023 laureates whom we celebrate today constitute a shining example of the constructive initiatives on the path of the beneficial cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the World Health Organization, which dates to more than six decades now. I wish the winners further progress and success in their endeavors of paying tribute to older citizens. I hope that the award will serve as an incentive for more innovation and contributions to promote global solidarity to safeguard the rights of the elderly to health care, in our joint effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

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[1] Url: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/recognizing-outstanding-achievements-with-proven-impact-for-health-gains-in-countries

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