Major international award for Australian Health leader

Written by Administrator

Tuesday, 25 March 2008

The Public Health Association of Australia is delighted to announce that PHAA life member Dr Basil Hetzel AC has been awarded the 2007 Prince Mahidol Prize for his contribution to International Public Health. The Prince Mahidol Prize, an important international health award, will be presented to Dr. Hetzel in Bangkok by the King of Thailand at a ceremony on January 30th 2008. Dr. Hetzel is one of Australia's most distinguished scientists and a former Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Chancellor of the University of South Australia and Chief of the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition. He has led international activity to reduce and eliminate iodine deficiency as a cause of brain damage for more than forty years. His research in Papua New Guinea and at CSIRO on iodine deficiency and brain development led to recognition by WHO that iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of brain damage in the world today with an at risk population of 2 billion people in 130 countries. In 1985 he played the key role in establishing and then leading the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), which is now a multidisciplinary global network of 700 professionals from more than 100 countries working with WHO and UNICEF. The ICCIDD, with WHO and UNICEF, has played a leading role in a global program of prevention dating from the World Summit for Children in 1990. In 1999 an assessment by an ICCIDD/WHO/UNICEF team found that 68% of households worldwide were consuming iodized salt, compared with only 20% before 1990. Dr Hetzel said, "We have seen enormous progress in the thirty years since we identified the importance of iodine deficiency to brain development. This Award is wonderful recognition of the benefits our work has brought to the health of communities throughout the world. There is now a further challenge to sustain and increase the coverage with iodized salt in countries including Australia where significant iodine deficiency has been identified in school children and in pregnancy". For further information contact: Dr. Basil Hetzel AC Phone: 61 8 8161 7021 (Office) Phone: 61 8 8267 3768 (Home) Email: iccidd@a011.aone.net.au

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 25 March 2008 )

 

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