Winners of the 2024 Task Force Awards
Fourteen organisations were honoured with Task Force awards at the Eleventh Friends of the Task Force meeting during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, on 25 September 2024.
Task Force awards recognise outstanding work on NCDs and mental health, including leveraging on innovation and technology. This year the Task Force joined forces with the WHO Department of Health Products Policy and Standards, with the awards scheme being expanded to recognize the importance of work in assistive technology.
Dr Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director for EMRO, announced winners in three categories: (i) ministries of health (or government agency under a ministry of health); (ii) ministries and government agencies outside health; and (iii) non-governmental organizations, academia, and foundations.
Ministries of health (or government agency under a ministry of health)
Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, for their leadership, innovative approaches, and collaborative efforts in preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions, with a particular focus on diabetes care, significantly contributing to achieving the SDG targets.
Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of the Dominican Republic, for their innovative, comprehensive, and equitable approach to preventing and controlling NCDs, demonstrating exceptional commitment to health promotion and resource mobilization domestically and internationally.
Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, for their increasing political commitment and adoption of a public health approach for the integrated decentralization of services to eliminate cervical cancer.
Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs of Andalusia, Spain, for leading a pioneering project across public health care centres in Andalusia, to combat gender-based violence through a comprehensive accreditation system, training program, multisectoral collaboration, as well as significantly enhancing the support and care provided to individuals with NCDs and mental health conditions and contributing to broader cultural and structural changes in the healthcare system.
Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt, for their comprehensive public health approach for screening and treating NCDs at the primary care level and through multisectoral cooperation. As a result, over 13 million citizens have been recently screened, with millions now being treated for one or more NCDs.
Indian Council for Medical Research, India, for their work in disability, rehabilitation and the use of assistive technology to improve policy, data, research and leadership across the health sector.
Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, India, for their program “Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam” which delivers comprehensive home-based healthcare services, significantly improving access, treatment, and follow-up for vulnerable populations, and strengthening the health system for NCDs across all levels of care.
Ministries and government agencies outside health
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Trivandrum, India, for their ‘Digitally Connected Tribal Colonies’ project in Kerala, that effectively integrates AI technology and indigenous medical devices to screen and prevent NCDs, including cervical and oral cancer, and diabetic retinopathy among marginalized tribal communities, using the local community to provide health education.
National Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, India, for their comprehensive provision of rehabilitation and assistive technology services, with a multisectoral and transversal approach, including psychological and social work, and community-based activities to improve health, including mental health conditions.
Tunisian National Television, for their use of television to reach and sensitize the whole population on the importance of, and opportunities for preventing NCDs, especially around tobacco.
Non-governmental organizations, academia, and foundations
Japan Heart Cambodia, for their work in Cambodia on the treatment of childhood cancers with peer-to-peer exchanges.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM, an Italian NGO that works in sub-Saharan African countries, for their work to improve health outcomes in rural Tanzania and their strong engagement with local and marginalized communities.
Fiji Cancer Society, for being a vital force in Fiji's health sector, leading efforts in cancer awareness, advocacy, patient support, and palliative care, particularly for vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, while fostering strong collaborations and regional partnerships to build a cancer-free Fiji.
The Center for Law and Policy Affairs, Bangladesh, for being a leading think-tank, advancing public health and environmental protection through evidence-based interventions, sustained legal advocacy, and strategic partnerships that have driven impactful changes to tackle social determinants of health, with a particular focus on NCD prevention.
Notes
Winners were selected by a panel consisting of members of the Task Force.
This is the seventh year of the Task Force awards scheme.
The call for this year’s nominations was published in March 2024.