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Awards for Excellence - 2011 Winners
PAHO and PAHEF Honor Innovative Public Health Figures Who Are Advancing Health in the Americas WASHINGTON, DC (September 27, 2011) – Last night, ministers of health, advocacy groups and private industry gathered for the third annual PAHO/PAHEF Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health event. Every year, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) jointly bestow the Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health to recognize contributions in the areas of leadership, health literature, veterinary public health, voluntary service, bioethics, and universal health care. The event took place concurrently with the 51st PAHO Directing Council, in which ministers of health and other high-level health authorities from throughout the Western Hemisphere met to set regional health priorities. PAHEF has an established history of bringing the public and private sectors together to convene public health projects in the Americas. “This event is a tremendous opportunity to help facilitate a dialogue between various sectors with a common interest in advancing public health in the Western Hemisphere and improving health throughout the Region,” said Edward L. Kadunc, president of PAHEF. For more than 30 years, PAHEF has recognized and awarded individuals who have dedicated their lives to advancing public health and health care in the Americas. This is the third time PAHEF and PAHO presented the awards in an evening event. Additional information regarding the day’s activities, including the 51st PAHO Directing Council meeting and the awards event, can be found at www.paho.org/blog/cd/51. The following people received awards: Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Dr. Laura Adriana Albarellos, Universidad de la Américas Puebla, Mexico Dr. Albarellos will receive the 2011 Manuel Velasco Suárez Award for Excellence in Bioethics for her proposal, Creating and using a system of gene banks for the establishment of public policies. The proposal presents a legislative framework, which operates in compliance with the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights and International Declaration on Human Genetic Data guidelines, both belonging to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for the use and operational coordination of genetic data banks to ensure efficiency and fairness in their application to public health in accordance with public safety, law enforcement, and justice administration. Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illness Program, Guyana Women’s International Network for Guatemalan Solutions, Guatemala The Women’s International Network for Guatemalan Solutions (WINGS) will receive the 2011 Clarence H. Moore Award for Excellence for Voluntary Service. Since 1999, WINGS has actively worked to improve the lives of Guatemalan families by providing them with education, access, and advocacy in family planning, reproductive health, and other public health programs and services. Today, WINGS runs five programs that reach more than 30,000 women, men and youth annually that have won international recognition for innovation and effectiveness. Dr. Francisca Samsing, Mayor University, Chile Dr. Ana Lucía Lovadino de Lima, University of São Paulo, Brazil Other awards presented: Peace Corps Congressman Silvestre Reyes About PAHEF: The Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) is dedicated to improving health in the Americas through health promotion, education, and training. Founded in 1968, PAHEF is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charity that works with the PAHO and other strategic partners in the Americas to mobilize resources and jointly address key health, education, and training priorities. With a deep knowledge of major health concerns and strong relationships with key stakeholders in the region, PAHEF builds successful partnerships and projects that advance health in the Americas. For more information regarding PAHEF, please visit: pahef.org About PAHO: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) was established in 1902 and is the world’s oldest international public health organization. It works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of the people of the hemisphere and serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). For more information regarding PAHO/WHO, please visit: www.paho.org About the Awards: The PAHO/PAHEF Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health, established in 1975, honor dedicated professionals who led the way in advancing health conditions in the Americas during the last century. The awards stimulate the growth of the next and rising generation of leaders working together to improve health and health care in the Americas. For each award, a jury of distinguished public health professionals is convened to review the nominations and recommend a winning candidate to the board of directors of PAHEF for approval. |
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