Rewarding Excellence, Encouraging Leadership... » The Abraham Horwitz Award for Leadership in Inter-American Health 

Past Winners

Dr. Eduardo Salazar-Lindo- Peru

Outstanding and Accomplished Leader in Inter-American Health Receives Prestigious Award

WASHINGTON, DC, September 27, 2004 - Before an international forum of high-level government health officials, ambassadors and other VIPs, a world-renowned pediatrician and professor, Dr. Eduardo Salazar-Lindo, received the prestigious Abraham Horwitz Award for Leadership in Inter-American Health for his public health leadership in and his significant contributions to the control and reduction of enteric diseases, such as cholera, in his native country of Peru, Latin America, and worldwide over a 25-year career.

	2004 Winner Dr. Eduardo Salazar-Lindo giving his acceptance speech during the 45th PAHO Directing Council on September 27, 2004

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Pan American Health and Education Foundation, Ms. Patricia Schroeder presented a certificate of honor and cash prize to Dr. Salazar-Lindo during the 45th Annual Directing Council meeting of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). She spoke of Dr. Salazar-Lindo's leadership, his expertise in intestinal diseases, and his management skills as key to “saving many thousands of lives during the 1991 cholera outbreak in Peru, a remarkable distinction among many during his long and impressive career in public health.” Also she stated that he introduced the life-saving treatment for diarrhea, oral rehydration therapy, to his country. She further noted that he guided his country's efforts in setting up its national oral rehydration program, and that the program ultimately reduced infant deaths by 57%. Her concluding remarks were, “You…join a distinguished list of individuals whose outstanding lifetime careers in medicine or public health demonstrate substantial impact on the lives and health of the peoples of the Region of the Americas.”

From left to right: PAHEF Board of Trustees, Ms. Patricia Schroeder; Dr. José Antonio Alvarado, Minister of Health of Nicaragua; PAHO Director, Dr. Mirta Roses; and Dr. Eduardo Salazar-Lindo

At a luncheon held earlier in the day, the Executive Director of the Pan American Health and Education Foundation, Ms. Jess Gersky, thanked and congratulated Dr. Salazar-Lindo for his initiative and leadership to bring improved health for all in the Americas. She noted that “Dr. Salazar-Lindo has all the qualities of a leader in public health. He leads by example. His work has broad implications on the health of future generations, and he is passionate about preventing disease and suffering. Dr. Salazar-Lindo is an inspiration to up-and-coming public health leaders. We are proud to have him as a member of our inter-American health family.”

The Abraham Horwitz Award for Leadership in Inter-American Health was established to honor Dr. Horwitz, who served as the director of PAHO and as president of the Foundation for 40 some years. Since 1975, it has recognized nearly 30 leaders whose areas of expertise ranged from child safety, to urban health, to tropical diseases, and the like. These leaders' commitment to inter-American public health stimulates excellence among public health professionals regionwide. This award is one of five awards of the Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health Program , a partnership between the Foundation and PAHO.

The Pan American Health and Education Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization working to combat disease, lengthen life, improve health care services, foster health research, and enhance the capacities of health care workers in the Americas through grant-making and direct program implementation. The Foundation works to promote philanthropy as a core social value, and shares the Pan American Health Organization's vision of Health for All.

For information about the call for nomination for the 2005 Abraham Horwitz for Leadership in Inter-American Health and the Foundation's Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health, please contact

Download Dr. Eduardo Salazar-Lindo's speech in Spanish (PDF)

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