The Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health, one of the most important awards in public health, this year honours Helen Rees, a physician, a public health specialist and one of the most recognised voices for equity in global health. The award is being presented by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) in tribute to Dr LEE Jong-wook, former Director-General of the WHO.

From the right: Prof. Antoine Flahault, Director, Institute of Global Health, Co-President, Geneva Health Forum (GHF). Dr. Suraya Dalil, Director, Special Programme on Primary Health Care, World Health Organization (WHO). Prof. Helen Rees, awardee, Dr Il-Soo Ha, President of KOFIH, and Dr. Margaret Chan (Vanke School of Public Health, Former SG of World Health Organization).

Helen Rees, a medical doctor and public health specialist, is currently Executive Director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and Chair of the Board of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. She also chairs and provides strategic expertise to various international bodies, including the WHO, the International Vaccine Initiative and MedAccess, the latter two being not for profit global entities aimed at increasing access to vaccines and to health products for LMICs.  She has held senior positions on the Boards of Gavi, CEPI and IAVI and received numerous awards including national awards from South Africa, France and the UK.

"In presenting her with this award, we wish to highlight her unwavering commitment to health equity, her pursuit of scientific innovation for the benefit of the most disadvantaged and her dedication to the sustainable improvement of health systems," says Dr Il-Soo Ha, President of KOFIH. "Her research and tireless advocacy embody the values of solidarity, excellence and justice - the very ideals that have defined Dr LEE Jong-wook's legacy."

For over thirty years, Prof Rees has dedicated her work to improving the health of populations, particularly in the areas of vaccine preventable diseases, HIV and STIs, sexual and reproductive health, and response to epidemics. She has played a major role in the response to major contemporary health crises, including the Ebola, COVID-19 and monkeypox epidemics. At the WHO, she chairs and participates in several expert scientific committees responsible for informing global vaccine policy and preparing for health emergencies. Her research and policy work has focused on communities and populations with the greatest health needs.

"Her work has had a profound influence on public health policy, both nationally and internationally," says Professor Alexandra Calmy, Vice-Dean of the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and HIV/AIDS specialist at Geneva University Hospitals. "Her scientific rigour and ability to unite stakeholders around innovative and sustainable solutions make her one of the leading figures in global health."

Established in 2008 by the World Health Organization with the financial and operational support of KOFIH, the Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health continues to honour individuals and organisations that champion equity in global health, perpetuating Dr LEE's vision of a world where no one is left behind. "Geneva is at the centre of global health," adds Professor Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute of Global Health at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and President of the Geneva Health Forum. "Today we are bringing together all the players in global health. At a time when multilateralism is the target of increasingly virulent attacks, it is more important than ever to recall the essential role of people like Helen, who is committed to helping the most vulnerable. The UNIGE is committed to working alongside her to highlight the importance of scientific research as an essential basis for effective and equitable public policies.”

Source: Universite de Geneve, Faculty of Medicine, Media

Watch full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpYB4ZCIFlk