Coordinator of the Global Network of Human Milk Banks (rBLH) and researcher at Fernandes Figueira National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents’ Health  (IFF / Fiocruz), João Aprígio Guerra de Almeida received on November 13 the Dr. Lee Jong-wook Award for Public Health in 2020, at a ceremony held remotely during the Plenary Resumption Session of 73rd World Health Meeting. The award is a reference to the former WHO director and honors individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions to the public health development.

“The Covid-19 pandemic showed us the incredible value of science and healthcare. Less than a year ago, the world knew nothing about Covid-19. Since then, science has delivered incredible insights at extraordinary speed, allowing WHO to develop evidence-based guidelines and accelerate the development of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies in record time. But we also recognize the work of the world's social and healthcare workers, who have put themselves at the service of preventing infections, treating patients, and saving lives. That's what the 2020 awards are about: science and services. This year's award winners have pioneering programs that have saved the lives of millions of children, developed new digital tools to assist primary care, led research that allowed the creation of the basis for national policies on maternal and child health, established the largest milk bank chain in the world to support breastfeeding, translated research into innovative policies and clinical practices, among other contributions,” said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, in congratulating the winners of awards delivered by the institution at the ceremony.

João Aprígio dedicated his award to newborns assisted by the milk bank chain and their families, and to female mothers donors of human milk who maintain the chain. The chain coordinator also thanked all the partners who allowed this project to be built collectively: his family, his friends, the chain's professionals, the Ministry of Health, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. “Fiocruz has been my home for 35 years. A locus of science, technological development, and innovation, where I had the opportunity to learn the true meaning of what it is to make public health with social commitment”, said the researcher upon receiving the award. Read the full speech.