Public Health Champions From India And Nepal Honoured With Inaugural WHO South-East Asia Public Health Champion Awards

Hyderabad-based LEPRA Society, disability rights activist Dr. Satendra Singh (both from India), and the Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) of Nepal have been named winners of the inaugural World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region Award for Public Health Champion.

Instituted earlier this year in June, the awards were announced today by the Regional Office in Delhi. Recognising outstanding contributions to public health that have led to measurable health improvements across communities, the awards drew 50 nominations from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Thailand. Winners will be felicitated during the 78th session of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee meeting to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, later this week, said a statement from the WHO South-East Asia Region.

In the individual category, Dr. Satendra Singh, Director-Professor of Physiology at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and GTB Hospital, Delhi, was recognised for his pioneering work in advancing disability inclusion in health systems and medical education.

A person with disability himself, Dr. Singh has stressed disability as a human rights issue rather than a medical deficit, driving reforms in health policy, curriculum development, and institutional practices across India and globally. His work is widely cited as a transformative model of inclusive, rights-based public health.

The LEPRA Society, a non-governmental organisation operating since 1989, received the award in the institutional category for its longstanding contributions to treating and preventing leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases in India.

Operating in 143 districts across nine states, the LEPRA Society runs 146 health centres, providing services to some of the country’s most underserved populations. It has been instrumental in introducing Multi-Drug Therapy, advancing Clofazimine use in leprosy treatment, and developing customised footwear to prevent ulcers among affected individuals.

The Society’s work has expanded to address tuberculosis, lymphatic filariasis, and HIV/AIDS, and it played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its model blends person-centred care, innovation, and community engagement, aligned with WHO's goals of universal health coverage, said the statement.

The Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) of Nepal were honoured in the community category for their pivotal role in transforming maternal and child health outcomes across Nepal, including in remote and underserved areas.

Since the inception of the programme, FCHVs have contributed significantly to 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, according to data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 and UNICEF.

Recognised globally as a low-cost, high-impact model, the FCHV initiative has also improved immunisation coverage, promoted nutrition awareness, and managed public health emergencies — becoming a replicable model for gender-equitable, community-led health systems strengthening.

Instituted in June 2025, the WHO South-East Asia Region Award for Public Health Champion aims to acknowledge individuals and organisations whose contributions have led to tangible health gains for Member States or the region as a whole, said the statement.