NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Rhonda Stewart, Global Health Council rstewart@globalhealth.org or 202.480.5641
June 16, 2011
FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND HRIDAY INDIA WIN 2011 BEST PRACTICES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AWARDS Two Organizations Recognized at Global Health Council’s Annual Conference For Strategies to Alleviate Poverty and Empower Youth WASHINGTON — Freedom from Hunger and Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY) India received the 2011 Best Practices in Global Health Awards of the Global Health Council. The winners were honored this evening at an awards ceremony of the 38th Annual International Conference on Global Health. “The programs developed by Freedom from Hunger and HRIDAY India are inspiring and transformational,” said Jeffrey L. Sturchio, president and CEO of the Global Health Council. “They give concrete tools to individuals to advocate for change for themselves, their families and their communities. This empowerment proves a powerful way to achieve impressive public health outcomes. These program offer creative and robust solutions for emulation in other settings throughout the world.” The Best Practices in Global Health Award is given annually to celebrate and highlight the efforts of a public health practitioner or organization dedicated to improving the health of poor and at-risk populations. Freedom from Hunger was nominated as the first microfinance program that was coupled with education and health protection services geared toward women to achieve family food security. HRIDAY was cited for its innovative solutions to highlight the risk of non-communicable diseases among the poor in India. Established in 1946, Freedom from Hunger is recognized for fighting hunger with innovative self-help programs. In the 1970s, they began implementing Applied Nutrition Programs, focusing almost exclusively on the health and nutrition of mothers and children. In 1989, Freedom from Hunger developed the world’s first integrated microcredit/health and nutrition education program. Currently, its microfinance programs serve more than 18 million people in some of the poorest countries. Founded in 1992, HRIDAY is a voluntary organization of health professionals and social scientists engaged in activities to promote health awareness and informed health activism among school and college students in India. HRIDAY works in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to promote health awareness and informed health activism among Indian youth. Its programs have focused on youth-led initiatives to reduce tobacco use among young and vulnerable populations, involving the implementation of comprehensive tobacco advertising, a promotion and sponsorship ban and enforcing smoke-free laws in public places. (more)
Since 1999, the Global Health Council has given the Best Practices in Global Health Award annually to highlight the efforts of individuals dedicated to improving the health of disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations and to recognize programs that demonstrate the links between health, poverty, and development. See past recipients of the award here: http://www.globalhealth.org/conference_2011/view_top.php3?id=1094 ### The Global Health Council is the world’s largest membership alliance of public health organizations and professionals dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world. The Council’s members work in more than 150 countries on six continents.