>> View the latest WHO news - Award winners: Professor Prakit Vathesatogkit from Thailand and the Severe Hypothermia Treatment Centre from Poland The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) presented the Fourteenth Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health to Professor Prakit Vathesatogkit from Thailand and the Severe Hypothermia Treatment Centre from Poland. President Kim Chang-yup of KOFIH presented a plaque and a monetary reward to Professor Prakit Vathesatogkit and the Severe Hypothemia Treatment Centre respectively on May 27th during an awards ceremony at the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly in Geneva. Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit from Thailand has demonstrated a strong commitment to tobacco control in Thailand. He has continuously advocated for tobacco control measures through civil activities in countries with high levels of smoking, playing a crucial role in tobacco control legislation in Thailand. Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit’s efforts extended to tobacco control policies in Southeast Asia, ultimately contributing to health promotion going beyond national boundaries. In particular, as former WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control during his term, Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit’s work in tobacco control is aligned with the purpose of the Prize to continue honoring the legacy of Dr LEE Jong-wook. The Severe Hypothermia Treatment Centre in Poland was also selected as the award winner in recognition of its achievements in creating systems for diagnosis and treatment of hypothermic patients, providing rescue services education, and developing new technologies including reporting software and applications for patients with suspected hypothermia. The achievements of the Centre are in line with the spirit of Dr LEE Jong-wook who has devoted his life to marginalized communities. The Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health was established by KOFIH and WHO in 2008. The Prize is awarded to a person or persons, an institution or institutions, a governmental or nongovernmental organization or organizations who have made outstanding contributions to public health. Former WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook, the first Korean to lead an international organization, established an infectious diseases control tower - the JW Lee Centre for Strategic Health Operations (SHOC monitors infectious disease information around the clock to rapidly respond to public health emergencies.) during his tenure and made great achievements in eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases including polio. KOFIH is cooperating with the WHO to continue the legacy of Dr LEE’s dedication to improving global health and to enhance the status of the Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health in the post-COVID-19 era. KOFIH President Kim Chang-yup said in an award speech that "the Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health will continue to contribute to improving global health with a particular interest in public health after the pandemic."