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Contact: Danielle Stonehirsch
Manager of Communications and Donor Relations
Email: d.stonehirsch@hvousa.org
Phone: (202) 296-0928
[Washington, DC - April 7, 2024] Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is pleased to announce the recipients of the nineteenth annual HVO Golden Apple Award. As part of its World Health Day observances and in celebration of World Health Worker Week, HVO recognizes the extraordinary contributions of HVO members, volunteers, and supporters. Each individual honored with this award has demonstrated a commitment to HVO’s mission to improve global health through the education, training, and professional development of the health workforce in resource-scarce countries.
The recipients of the 2024 Golden Apple Award are: Andrew Babu, BPT, MPT; Michael Martin, MD; Margaret Nakakeeto, MD; Prakash Neupane, MD; Kelly Smith, MD; and Hansjörg Wyss.
These individuals have contributed to global health and the HVO mission in a number of ways. Their work includes project assessment, development, and monitoring; advocacy and promotion of HVO’s mission; building professional networks that support health workers and facilitate advancements at project sites; cultivation of connections between HVO volunteers and overseas trainees; acquisition and development of educational resources; teaching, training, and mentoring overseas health workers to expand their knowledge, skills, and professional development; and providing exceptionally generous financial contributions to support all of these activities.
“When I consider this year’s World Health Day theme of ‘My health, my right,’ I cannot help but think of the dedication and commitment of this year’s honorees to HVO’s mission of improving the quality of and access to health care for all individuals across the globe. Quality health care is a right, a right that should not be in question no matter where an individual lives. Thanks to their efforts, more providers received valuable training that will be used to train others and to improve care for countless patients.” remarked HVO Executive Director, April Pinner, MSPH, RD.
The efforts of HVO Golden Apple Award recipients are an integral part of HVO’s mission to expand access to care by educating and supporting health workers. By highlighting the achievements and contributions of the Golden Apple Award recipients, HVO seeks to demonstrate how education and opportunity for health workers will lead to more people around the world being able to access safe, skilled, and compassionate health care when they need it most.
The HVO Board of Directors established the HVO Golden Apple Award in 2006 to recognize and thank the individuals and health educators who make exceptional contributions to HVO and our mission to improve global health. Each year, a handful of individuals - nominated by HVO members, volunteers or leadership, or by our overseas partners - receive the award in recognition of the substantial impact they have had as teachers, advisers, mentors, and leaders.
Since 1950, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international community have celebrated World Health Day on April 7. The day always focuses on a relevant global health issue and this year’s theme is “My health, my right.” For more information on World Health Day, visit the WHO website.
World Health Worker Week, celebrated for the twelfth consecutive year, runs from April 1-7. The week serves as an opportunity to mobilize communities, partners, and policy makers in support of health workers around the world. It is a time to celebrate the amazing work that they do and to raise awareness of the challenges they face every day. Learn more about World Health Worker Week.
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