WHO honours six global champions for primary health care at 79th Assembly
The World Health Organization’s annual awards ceremony marked the 20th anniversary of Dr Lee Jong-wook’s death and highlighted the growing global engagement in public health excellence.
The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, convened on 20 May 2026, honoured six laureates for their contributions to advancing primary health care and reducing global health inequities. The awards were presented by Dr Víctor Elias Atallah Lajam, President of the Assembly, and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, alongside representatives of the foundations that have supported these prizes for the past 40 years.
The 2026 laureates were selected by the WHO Executive Board in February 2026 from nearly 100 nominations submitted from across all six WHO regions. This volume of submissions reflects a significant increase in global engagement compared to previous years. The honourees represent diverse backgrounds and were recognised for work ranging from strengthening primary health care systems and advancing disease control to empowering communities and expanding access to essential services for vulnerable populations.
The ceremony also marked the 20th anniversary of the death of former WHO Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook, who passed away unexpectedly during the World Health Assembly in 2006. One of the prizes awarded, the Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health, honours his legacy and enduring contribution to global health.
Public health foundation prizes are awarded following nominations submitted by WHO Member States and former laureates. Selection panels composed of representatives of the prize foundations and WHO Executive Board Members review candidates and make recommendations before the Executive Board designates the winners each year. Over the past 15 years, more than 80 laureates from over 50 WHO Member States have received public health prizes.
The awards ceremony takes place within the context of the 2026 World Health Day theme, “Together for health. Stand with science”. This year-long campaign highlights science as the foundation for protecting health and well-being worldwide, aligning with the WHO’s mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
