Climate-Health Action Award

The award celebrates an individual on the frontline of responding to climate-related health challenges and disasters, including but not limited to, extreme weather events, the emergence or reemergence of climate-related diseases, and access to health for climate migrants.

Criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Dedication: Demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to addressing climate-related health challenges, or ensured continuity of health services for communities affected by climate change or facing climate-related disasters. This could be demonstrated through (but may not be limited to) the following:
    • Outstanding courage, determination, or other contributions to the community during climate disasters or emergencies
    • Significant involvement in the treatment and prevention of climate-related emerging or reemerging diseases
    • Exceptional dedication to the health of climate migrants.
  • Impact: Measurably improved the health and welfare of individuals affected by a climate crisis in their community or country.
  • Adaptability: Proven ability to swiftly adjust to changing climate conditions and the subsequent health challenges they pose, implementing efficient and timely interventions.
  • Location: Preference will go to those based in low and middle-income countries at the forefront of climate-related challenges.

Frontline Exemplar Award

The Frontline Exemplar Award aims to celebrate an exceptional individual who played a key role delivering essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating remarkable courage and dedication to keep others safe.

Criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Dedication: Demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to combating COVID-19 and or ensuring continuity of essential services in their local communities. This could be demonstrated through (but may not be limited to) the following:
    • Outstanding interventions implemented during the pandemic
    • Enduring an increased exposure and hardship to the disease
    • A stellar performance and outcomes of their activities
  • Creativity: Showcased out-of-the-box and innovative thinking that diverges or is novel from traditional efforts or tools
  • Local Impact: Improved the health and welfare of individuals in their local community/country
  • Location: Preference will go to those based in a low and middle-income country and working with local communities

Unsung Hero Award

The Unsung Hero Award aims to honor and celebrate an extraordinary individual who has played a transformative, frontline role in the field of disease elimination, and has been under-recognized for his or her efforts until this point. Nominations of individuals who ensured the continuity of disease elimination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic are highly encouraged.

Criteria

Candidates should demonstrate a strong personal commitment in the area of disease elimination and will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Dedication: Demonstrated an extraordinary commitment toward disease elimination and to the health of the local community. This could be demonstrated through (but may not be limited to) the following:
    • Outstanding contribution to reach the last mile
    • Enduring a hardship for the benefit of the cause
    • A long history of consistently stellar performance and outcomes throughout their professional career
  • Sustainability: Showcased the long-term sustainability of their work (e.g. training others, enacting systems or processes, inspiring long-lasting change in area of work)
  • Impact: Improved the health and welfare of individuals in their low-income community/country in a measurable way
  • Location: Preference will go to those based in an endemic country and working with local communities

Game-changing Innovator Award

The Game Changing Innovator Award recognizes an individual who has developed and implemented a creative technology or practice in support of disease elimination that has benefitted low-income communities. Innovators may have developed a new technology or product, implemented a new delivery method or process or a new strategy that serves as a social innovation within a community. The solutions must be in mid- to late-stage development in order to show some evidence of impact. Nominations of individuals that took into consideration COVID-19 impact on disease elimination in their creative technology or practice are highly encouraged.

Criteria

Candidates should demonstrate a strong personal commitment in the area of disease elimination and will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Problem-solving: Addresses an unmet challenge to disease elimination through a new product or more efficient service delivery of health services.
  • Inventiveness: Showcases out-of-the-box and cutting-edge thinking that diverges or is novel from efforts or tools currently in use. Impact: Innovators must be able to explain their theory of change and demonstrate how their work was made a significant and tangible impact over time. Depending on the type of innovation, this may entail: Improving upon existing solutions with a new product Supporting and empowering people to enact behavioral changes Addressing a service delivery problem (e.g. improved efficiency, effectiveness or cost effectiveness)
  • Impact: Innovators must be able to explain their theory of change and demonstrate how their work has made a significant and tangible impact over time. Depending on the type of innovation, this may entail: Improving upon existing solutions with a new product, Supporting and empowering people to enact behavioral changes, Addressing a service delivery problem, reducing carbon footprint, water consumption and air pollution (e.g. improved efficiency, effectiveness or cost-effectiveness)
  • Scalability: Innovations are realistic and can be replicated and scaled up to have a far-reaching impact
  • Sustainability: Must be able to demonstrate how innovation could be implemented and maintained over a long period of time.

Rising Champion Award

The Rising Champion Award celebrates an individual who is championing a cause related to disease elimination. Nominees should be focused on influencing health policy within their respective country through advocacy activities. Examples of activities include: traditional media (news) and social media campaigns, grassroots organizing, outreach to policymakers, organizing events or fundraising. Nominations of individuals who continued their disease elimination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic are highly encouraged.

Criteria

Candidates should demonstrate a strong personal commitment in the area of disease elimination and will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Reach: Developed a far-reaching campaign engaging multiple stakeholders and across a certain geographic region.
  • Creativity: Has included creative strategies and activities in the campaign that diverge from previous approaches.
  • Leadership: Has inspired others (grassroots advocates, NGOs, non-profits, policymakers, etc.) to take action on disease elimination as a direct result of his or her actions.
  • Impact: Individual’s actions have had a measurable impact in the field of disease elimination (e.g. policy change, written or spoken commitments from key leaders, increased funding for an issue, etc.)
  • Continuity: Shows potential for continuation for further impact with promising new ideas, initiatives or campaigns yet to be rolled out.
  • Representation: Preference will be given to young leaders (under age 35)

Eligibility

General requirements

  • Nominees must be individuals and will be accepted from organizations in any part of the world, including non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, international organizations, government agencies and academic institutions.
  • Nominees may be any age, but preference will be given to young leaders (under age 35) for the Rising Champion Award.
  • A nominator may submit more than one nomination in one or more of the award categories
  • During the application process, nominators, nominees and evaluators will be required to confirm that they have read and understand the 2023 REACH Awards statutes, and acknowledge that any information submitted will be subject to and handled in accordance with such provisions.
  • Each nominee may only be considered for one (1) award category.
  • No person can nominate herself/himself for the REACH Awards
  • Nominees must be working in the field of human disease elimination and/or in the COVID-19 response, and/or a climate and health crisis response in low or middle income settings but may come from any sector (civil society, academia, private sector, medicine, etc.) This may include efforts to eliminate transmission or eliminate a disease as a public health threat.
    • Elimination of transmission entails reduction to zero of the incidence of infection caused by a specific pathogen in a defined geographical area, with minimal risk of reintroduction, as a result of deliberate efforts; continued actions to prevent re-establishment of transmission may be required.
    • Elimination as a public health problem encompasses both infection and disease. It is defined by achievement of measurable global targets set by WHO in relation to a specific disease. When reached, continued actions are required to maintain the targets and/or to advance the interruption of transmission.
    • COVID-19 response may include all preventive, diagnostic, and treatment activities implemented by healthcare workers.
    • Response to climate and health crises may include, but is not limited to, extreme weather events, emergence/reemergence of climate-related diseases, and access to health for climate migrants.
    • Eligible disease areas may include but are not limited to: poliomyelitis, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Malaria, Tuberculosis and pandemics (e.g. Ebola, SARS, Zika).
  • Nominees must be able to travel to the UAE for the Reaching the Last Mile Forum.
  • The Presidential Court’s decision on applicant eligibility is final.

Application requirements

  • Application materials should directly connect the nominee’s work with the purpose and criteria of the relevant award category.
  • Application materials should be written in clear English or French language with little jargon, suitable for a general audience familiar with broad global health concepts.

Terms

  • General
    • The nominator and nominee (upon accepting the nomination) must agree to the terms as they are listed in order to be considered for the awards.
    • Nominations are submitted through the nomination portal
    • A nominator may submit more than one nomination in one or more of the above listed categories
    • Applications must be submitted in English or French.
    • Applications must be submitted on time and will not be accepted after the closing date.
    • Incomplete and/or ineligible applications will not be considered.
    • The application form must be typed and submitted through the online portal. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
    • Applicants must have a good conduct record and have a good reputation.
    • Nominees’ categories may change at the discretion of the Presidential Court team.
    • The Award Management is not required to provide any feedback to participants. regarding the assessment of their application and is not required to provide any participation certificate.
    • The Award Management has the right to verify the authenticity of the nominee’s submission by requesting additional evidence.
    • All files submitted for the Award enjoy full confidentiality. Submissions will not be disclosed to any other party outside the Presidential Court, evaluators and jury before a winner’s declaration is announced.
  • Privacy Notice
    • All application materials submitted to the Presidential Court will become the property of the Presidential Court and will be subject to review by evaluators and jury members in addition to Presidential Court employees, but will not be shared externally or publically. The Presidential Court will not provide legal counsel on appropriate materials for submission but encourages nominees to seek legal counsel if doubts arise.
  • Release and verification
    • Upon entry of materials into the application portal, the nominee agrees that the Presidential Court has full discretion to amend calls to nominees, change deadlines and select or disqualify winners at its own discretion. The nominee must agree not to bring legal action against the Presidential Court related to award selection or nomination process.
  • Warranty
    • The nominee must agree that all materials submitted are accurate representations and any falsehoods, omissions, and misrepresentations will be considered cause for disqualification at the discretion of the Presidential Court.
  • Compliance with Laws and Other Requirements
    • All participants in the REACH awards, including nominators, nominees, jury members, evaluators must comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards in the relevant context, as well as any ethics codes in field. The Presidential Court will be indemnified and held harmless from any lawsuits or legal action arising surrounding participants’ involvement in the REACH awards.