Inputs by Aryaa Sinha
Geneva May 22: World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced 6 Global Health Leaders’ Award on Sunday, 22nd May 2022 .
The award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution in protecting and promoting health across the world. Mr. Tedros himself presented the awards to the recipients.
The award ceremony was first started in 2019 and is the part of 75th World Health Assembly which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 22nd to 28th May 2022. This is the first in-person World Health Assembly since the Covid-19 pandemic that started in 2020 and still remains classified as a pandemic.
Honorees of Awards
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist Workers)
Asha is a community of female health workers (married, widowed, or divorced between the age of 25-45 years) instituted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as part of India’s National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
There are more than 1 million trained healthcare workers in India serving at grass root level.
Their key role is to create awareness about basic nutrition, hygiene practices, and making health services accessible to those living in rural areas.
This news has brought much cheer to the entire public health system in India. Many government bodies have posted congratulatory messages on Twitter. We share some of those messages below.
Dr Paul Farmer
Dr. Farmer was an American medical anthropologist, physician, and a renowned writer. He was recognized for his contributions towards providing direct healthcare services for patients who live in poverty.
Ahmed Hankir
He is a Senior Research fellow at the Centre for Mental Health Research in relationship with Cambridge University.
He is also the author of the book, “The Wounded Healer” in which he draws his personal and professional expertise to dignify people with mental illness.
His book has been integrated into the medical school curriculum of four UK universities.
Ms Ludmila Sofia Oliveira Varela
A volleyball player from Cabo Verde (Africa) was honoured for facilitating access to sports as a healthy alternative to risky behaviors among youth.
She has received awards in several sports competitions in the African Region.
Polio workers in Afghanistan
Among the awardees were 8 volunteers of polio workers who performed lifesaving work despite extraordinary challenges and risks. Together, they reached thousands of children through house to house polio campaigns. Their work was crucial in a country where polio virus type 1 is still circulating.
Mr Yōhei Sasakawa
He is the WHO Ambassador of Leprosy Elimination and Japan’s Ambassador to Human Rights for People Affected by leprosy. He has been recognised for his global fight against leprosy and the associated stigma and social discrimination.
All images in this section from the Nippon Foundation.
Reappointment of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
At the same event, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was re-elected as the Director General of the WHO for a second term. Each term is of 5 years. He will officially start his second term on August 16, 2022.
According to the rules, a Director-General can be reappointed once. This means that in 2027, Dr. Ghebreyesus cannot be re-elected for one more term.
All images from the Twitter of WHO unless otherwise specified or marked on the image.
