Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers were awarded the Global Health Leader award 2022 in the 75th World Health Assembly among six other recipients. With over 1 million volunteers in India, they play an important role in linking the communities living in rural areas with the health system, which proved to be helpful in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other recipients were eight polio workers who were shot and killed in Afghanistan in February. The WHO stated that polio work is important in the country where the disease is still in circulation, as Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio is still significantly present. The award also recognized Dr. Paul Farmer, Dr. Ahmed Hankir, Volleyball player Ludmila Sofia Oliveira Varela, and Yohei Sasakawa.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that these awardees have dedicated their life to advocating equality and provided selfless service at the unprecedented time of inequality, conflict, food security, the climate crisis, and a pandemic.

Source: The Indian Express