In 2018, the Task Force established the annual awards scheme to recognize those that are making an exceptional contributions to reducing the burden of NCDs and improving mental health.
A call for nominations is issued in the spring of each year with awards announced in September during the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly.
In recent years awards have been made in three categories:
- Ministries of health and government health agencies;
- Ministries and government agencies outside health;
- Non-governmental organizations, academia and foundations.
Winners are selected on the basis of demonstrative commitment to multisectoral action in preventing and controlling the NCD-related SDGs (at local, national, regional or international level) and improving mental health with particular weight given to nominations that demonstrated evidence of one or more of the following:
- New and innovative activities;
- Acting as an exemplar for others;
- Overcoming significant obstacles;
- Demonstrating outstanding leadership;
- Mobilizing resources, knowledge or expertise.
The awards not only recognize exceptional contributions but also underscore the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals.
2023
UNIATF Awards 2023
Mar 10, 2026, 08:40
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Winners of the 2023 Task Force Awards
Nine organisations were honoured with Task Force awards at the Friends of the Task Force meeting during the UN General Assembly on 19 September.
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 Digital Health and the International Telecommunication Union, with the awards scheme being expanded to recognize the importance of digital health in tackling NCDs and mental health conditions.
Marcos Espinal, Assistant Regional Director for PAHO, 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 Dominican Republic, for the successful implementation of the ‘Take care of your mental health’ initiative – providing Psychological First Aid, and spaces for prevention and education in mental health, in a tele assisted mode.
- Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, for their outstanding contribution to the prevention and control of NCDs using a digital health strategy that has been made available across all public health centres in the country.
- Ministry of Health of Lebanon, in recognition of their nationwide exemplar programme ‘Step-by-Step’ - a digital WHO guided self-help intervention for depression, that is an evidence-based and free mental health service using digital technology.
- Ministry of Health of Oman, for their continuous efforts and commitment to multisectoral action for the prevention and control of NCDs by implementing plain packaging for tobacco products on a national level.
Ministries and government agencies outside health:
- Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica, for their ‘Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being in the Educational Community in Costa Rica’ initiative – that uses digital technology and is working towards the national implementation of an adaptation of the Mental Health Literacy-Curriculum developed in Canada.
- Ministry of Youth and Sports of Tunisia, for the promotion of physical activity as a multisectoral approach to prevent and control NCDs, by targeting the risk factor of physical inactivity.
Non-governmental organizations, academia, and foundations:
- Health Finance Institute based in the USA, for supporting investment in NCD initiatives through evidence-based financing mechanisms and using health economics models for innovative NCD advocacy.
- Loono based in the Czech Republic, for raising health literacy using digital tools, and saving lives through preventive care activities for NCDs and mental health conditions, in schools & hospitals.
- Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights, based in Nepal, for enforcing bans on alcohol advertisements in media and public areas in Nepal, to prevent & control NCDs and mental health conditions.
Notes
Winners were selected by a panel consisting of members of the Task Force.
This is the sixth year of the Task Force awards scheme.
A call for this year’s nomination was published in April 2023.