New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The LEPRA Society, a Hyderabad-based public health NGO, and Dr. Satendra Singh, a Delhi-based disability rights advocate, are among the winners of the first-ever World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Public Health Champion Awards announced today.
The (WHO) South-East Asia Region announced the winners of the award, instituted earlier this year to recognise individuals and organisations whose efforts have led to tangible and lasting improvements in public health across the region.the Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) of Nepal.
The Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) of Nepal also received an award.
According to a WHO statement, the awards drew 50 nominations from four Member States — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Thailand — reflecting the growing focus on innovation, equity, and grassroots engagement in public health. The winners will be felicitated later this week during the 78th Session of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In the individual category, Dr. Satendra Singh, Director-Professor of Physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and GTB Hospital, Delhi, was honoured for his pioneering advocacy on disability inclusion in health systems and medical education.
A person with disability himself, Dr. Singh has consistently reframed disability as a human rights concern, advocating for structural reforms in health policy, curricula, and institutional practice in India and globally. His work has been widely cited as a transformative model of inclusive, rights-based public health.
The LEPRA Society, which has operated in India since 1989, was recognised in the institutional category for its contributions in addressing leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly among underserved populations.
Operating across 143 districts in nine states, the Society runs 146 health centres, and has played a critical role in the introduction of Multi-Drug Therapy, the development of Clofazimine as a treatment for leprosy, and the creation of customised footwear to prevent ulcers and disability among affected individuals, the statement noted.
In recent years, the organisation has expanded its work to address tuberculosis, lymphatic filariasis, HIV/AIDS, and provided essential public health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Society’s model integrates research, innovation, and person-centred care, aligned with the WHO’s goals of universal health coverage, it added.
From Nepal, the Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) of Nepal were recognised in the community category for their exceptional role in advancing maternal and child health, particularly in remote and marginalised regions of the country.
Since the programme’s inception, FCHVs have been instrumental in reducing maternal mortality from 901 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 151 in 2021, and under-five mortality from 162 to 28 per 1,000 live births, as per data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 and UNICEF.
Internationally recognised as a low-cost, high-impact model, the FCHV initiative has improved immunisation coverage, strengthened nutrition awareness, and enhanced community preparedness for public health emergencies. The programme is considered a replicable model for gender-equitable and community-led health systems strengthening.
“By recognising changemakers across individual, institutional, and community categories, the award aims to encourage continued innovation, accountability, and people-centred approaches in addressing the region’s most pressing health challenges,” the statement added.
The awardees will be formally honoured during a special event on the sidelines of the 78th WHO Regional Committee Meeting in Colombo, where health ministers and senior officials from 11 Member States are expected to gather to deliberate on regional health priorities, it said.
