Winners of the 2022 Carlos Slim Health Awards
- The Carlos Slim Foundation announces the winners of the fifteenth edition of its Health Awards, which recognize this incredibly important work for the Latin American region.
- The Association in Favor of People with Cerebral Palsy (APAC) is the winner of the Exceptional Institution Award.
- The Research Trajectory Award was given to Milton Ozorio Moraes
Every year, The Carlos Slim Foundation acknowledges the work of those who, individually or collectively, have spent their lives looking for innovative solutions to health problems in Latin America, and especially those that affect the most vulnerable populations in the region, helping more people to live better and longer.
The winners have been chosen by an independent board of experts from all the received proposals, who this year chose The Association in Favor of People with Cerebral Palsy (APAC) based on Mexico and Dr. Milton Ozorio Moraes from Brazil.
Find out more about the winners of this edition
The Association in Favor of People with Cerebral Palsy (APAC) | Mexico
Founded in 1970, the APAC has become an exemplary organization in Mexico and the Latin American region, of the work carried out by non-profit institutions. Every day it cares for 500 babies, children, teenagers and adults in Mexico City who face different challenges related to their condition.
The APAC works under a model that directly benefits the target population in three specific areas: rehabilitation and healthcare services, formal education and alternative education. Its intervention in many cases allows its beneficiaries to be admitted to schools, favors inclusion in the job market with training and preparation and, in general, opens up opportunities for development and greater autonomy of the children and teenagers it works with. Most of these beneficiaries come from low income families.
At the same time, the organization works with the relatives of the beneficiaries, offering them family psychology services, workshops and therapeutic support groups.
The APAC model has been replicated and adapted in different contexts and locations. The institution has a network of 46 affiliated centers in Mexico, making it the leader for training people who care for disabled children and teenagers.
Dr. Milton Ozorio Moraes | Brazil
Dr. Milton Ozorio Moraes is the head of the Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) Laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Brazil, professor in the Rio de Janeiro University, and coordinator of the INOVA-FIOCRUZ program.
Dr. Ozorio Moraes is considered to be one of the most prominent researchers in the world in the field of Hansen’s Disease. His research has allowed a translational process that has lead, among other achievements, to the development of the first test in the world for diagnosing Hansen’s Disease. In addition to his interest in this subject, from his laboratory he carries out projects related to genomic research into the body’s response to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, Zika, COVID19, hepatitis and leishmaniasis.
His research has resulted in the publication of more than 160 articles in medical journals. Additionally, in terms of both his laboratory work and his teaching positions, he is a leader in the formation of new researchers.
Dr. Ozorio Moraes graduated in biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, received his master’s in sciences from the same university, and his doctorate in molecular biology from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute.