Call for nominations: WHO South-East Asia Award for Public Health Champion

The Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region has established the WHO South-East Asia Award for Public Health Champion to recognize and honour exceptional contributions to improving public health in the Region. This prestigious award aims to acknowledge individuals and institutions whose work has had a significant and lasting impact on public health outcomes in the Region. 

Criteria

The proposed awardee(s) will be an individual (public health professional, academician, activist, change maker) or a nongovernmental or government-aided institution (universities, research organizations, think tanks, etc.) and health care facility (both government and non-government), whose work and contributions have had a significant and far-reaching impact and resulted in ensuring tangible health gains for Member States and their populations or for the Region as a whole.

The awardee(s) must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. undertaken sustained advocacy and awareness creation on a previously neglected public health issue, leading to global sensitization and catalysing a roadmap for meaningful response;
2. provided unique technical support to WHO and Member States in building sustainable capacity in the health sector, resulting in substantial mortality reduction from a disease/factor of immense public health importance;
3. facilitated strengthening of quality health systems and improving access for vulnerable populations, thereby, improving the health indicators in the defined geographical area;
4. designed, developed, or disseminated an innovation or tool that has brought about a paradigm shift in public health actions at an affordable cost; or
5. mobilized communities towards better health with demonstrable change in their health-seeking behaviours.

Preference will be given to contributions that align with the “WHO South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience (ROADMAP): The shared strategic framework towards a healthier Region” (https://www.who.int/southeastasia/publications/i/item/9789290211495).

The Award will be presented/conferred during the Regional Committee Session to be held in 2025.

Process

The nominators can submit evidence and documentation to support their nomination. The evidence can include data, reports, media coverage, peer-reviewed articles, evaluations or testimonials, etc.

Please note that self-nominations will not be considered.

WHO staff and individual government officials are ineligible for nominations.

Selection criteria:

The award screening committee will use the following selection criteria:

1. Impact, Scalability, and Replicability: Evidence of measurable improvements in public health outcomes and the potential for the intervention to be replicated in other contexts.
2. Sustainability, Equity, and Inclusiveness: Demonstrated sustainability through integration into policies or community behavior, and responsiveness to the needs of disadvantaged or marginalized populations.
3. Innovation and Originality: Uniqueness of the intervention in approach, tools, or engagement strategies.

Adherence to the Framework of Engagement with non-State Actors (FENSA) principles will also be considered during shortlisting of candidates for the award.

The awardees will be honoured at an informal function during the Regional Committee Session, the annual governing body meeting of WHO in South-East Asia.

Link for submitting nomination: 

https://extranet.who.int/dataformv6/index.php/587263?lang=en

Important dates:

July 31: Deadline to submit the nominations.

September 15: Award results will be finalized, and communication made to the awardees.

Award

The Award will consist of a citation and a commemorative plaque. 

Official Information: WHO SEARO