ACRI bags honors at 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards

The ASMPH Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI) proudly announces its remarkable achievements at the 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards for Partners, hosted by the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) - Healthy Promotion Bureau (HPB) in collaboration with the Galing Pook Foundation. The awarding ceremony took place on 27 October 2023, at the PICC Reception Hall in Pasay City, with the aim of recognizing exceptional contributions by government and non-government institutions toward the promotion of healthier people, environments, and systems.

ACRI's outstanding projects, aimed at advancing environmental health research and translating knowledge into actionable evidence for policy-making and action planning, have been honored in two key categories:

Gold Award: Maging MaTAALino – Protecting the Health of People and Environment Against Arsenic in Drinking Water Sources in Batangas Province

The Maging MaTAALino project, led by Dr Geminn Louis C Apostol, pioneered research on arsenic contamination in Batangas. This groundbreaking initiative resulted in the development of risk communication programs and materials, which were disseminated throughout the province. Additionally, it led to the formation of the Taal Volcano Environmental Health Task Force (EnviHealth Team) in collaboration with DOH-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) CALABARZON, spearheaded by Engr Peter Herrera, and the Batangas Medical Center-Poison Control Center, under the guidance of Dr Rhodora Reyes-Madrid.

Bronze Award: National Environmental Health Action Plan 2030 (NEHAP 2030)

NEHAP 2030 served as a comprehensive blueprint for creating a health-enabling environment for both current and future generations, ensuring the alignment of these national plans for Environmental Health with the Universal Health Care Law, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the DOH’s Health Promotion Framework Strategy. For more details, kindly refer to the following links:

• Blog: https://acri.ph/content/towards-a-healthier-future-for-all-filipinos-acri- 

• Publication:  https://bit.ly/HPBNEHAP2030

These awards not only underscore ACRI's unwavering commitment to advancing environmental health research in the Philippines but also emphasize their dedication to converting knowledge into tangible solutions for policy development and action implementation. ACRI's accolades at the 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards demonstrate their pivotal role in driving positive change and innovation in the realm of public health and environmental well-being.