Carlos Slim Foundation announces the winners of the 2017 Health Prize
The 2017 Carlos Slim Health Awards marks a very significant milestone, as this is its 10th edition. Throughout these ten years, these Awards have been consolidated as a reference in Latin America and the Caribbean. Proof of this the large number of institutions and researchers nominated from 15 countries. After a detailed evaluation process by an independent jury and the Board of Directors of Carlos Slim Foundation, we proudly announce to the winners of this edition:
The Exceptional Institution Award is granted to the Central American Network of People with HIV (Red Centroamericana de Personas con VIH, REDCA+). This institution is formed a regional structure formed by people with HIV, supported by organizations of and for people with HIV in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. REDCA+ has the political endorsement of the Council of Social Integration (Consejo de la Integración Social, CIS) and the Council of Health Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic (Consejo de Ministros de Salud de Centroamérica y República Dominicana, COMISCA). This network also carries out actions related to the Regional Coordination Mechanisms for Tuberculosis and Malaria (RCM).
Since 2001, REDCA+ has contributed to care, make visible and give a voice to the population with HIV. Through its work, it has contributed to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (1990-2015) by reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and promoting universal access to treatment for people in need. The work of this institution not only covers public health, but also focuses on a human rights approach.
The Central American Network has institutional recognition in the region and is supported by international organizations such as USAID, UNAIDS, CHRISTIAN AIDS, the German Cooperation Agency and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
The Research Trajectory Award is for Dr. José Sifuentes Osornio, Medical Director of the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition ‘Salvador Zubirán’, (INCMyNSZ) since 2012. His area of research focuses on tuberculosis and its interaction with other diseases such as diabetes and HIV. Dr. Sifuentes Osornio’s contributions improved the care conditions of patients with tuberculosis, modifying their treatment in Latin America, and achieving an important impact on public health. He has 198 publications in national and international indexed journals. His work as a tutor is highly relevant in both the INCMyNSZ and the Medical School of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where he has trained hundreds of students in the area of medicine and infectious diseases. He has won, in 6 occasions, recognitions through the National Institutes of Health of Mexico Award and multiple awards of the Mexican Association of Clinical Microbiology and Infectology.