AsianScientist (Apr. 20, 2015) – Biocon Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Biocon Ltd., has received the WHO-India Public Health Champion Award 2015 for its initiatives in the area of public health. The award was given in recognition for its integrated healthcare initiatives that seeks to improve the quality of life of several thousand communities in India.
The Public Health Champion Award 2015 is a new initiative by World Health Organization(WHO)-India. The awards were presented at a national consultation held to commemorate the World Health Day 2015. Ms. Rani Desai, Head of Biocon Foundation, received the award from Dr. Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India, at a function held in New Delhi.
Expressing her delight at receiving the award, Ms. Rani Desai, Head, Biocon Foundation said, “The Foundation has been recognized for its innovative healthcare models of preventive and primary health services through which we are engaged in creating a sustainable health ecosystem. Through our primary health clinics we aim to enable access to affordable healthcare to rural and urban marginalized communities.”
Biocon Foundation has accelerated its efforts in the area of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, while continuing to work in the area of basic health. It has also taken efforts in using low cost mHealth technologies to ensure that healthcare reaches remote and underserved communities in a cost effective manner.
Appreciating Biocon Foundation’s approach to public health, the WHO Award citation stated, “Biocon Foundation focuses its healthcare programs on early detection and prevention of non-communicable diseases through a network of community health workers and nine Biocon Foundation primary health centers across Karnataka. It is also working on sustainable and cost-effective community based models for cervical and oral cancer screening and detection by community health workers who are trained to conduct screening using simple mobile technology.”
WHO-India recently instituted the Public Health Champions Awards to recognize and encourage the efforts of individuals and institutions who have made an outstanding contribution to public health through advocacy, impactful health policies, strategies and programs thus leading to substantial improvement in health outcomes in India.
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Source: Biocon.
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