Dignity and Right to Health Award

The "Dignity and Right to Health Award" is an activity of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association HIV Initiative. The award provides an essential opportunity to recognise, support and publicize the most outstanding role models and champions acting to stop this global epidemic. It is positioned as an important symbol for ensuring that voices from diverse communities and countries are acknowledged.

The Dignity and Right to Health Award aims to model, mobilise and encourage creative and sustainable ways that enhance the dignity and human rights of people and communities living with HIV/AIDS epidemic and affected by the epidemic.

The Award will be given to individuals for excellence, outstanding leadership and compassion in responding to HIV/AIDS. The process will seek nominees who demonstrate the following:-
- significant impact at local and wider level,
- empowers others in integrated community responses,
- facilitates church integration and participation in best practice models of care
- demonstrates excellence in full community involvement and empowerment of People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)
- works, facilitates and advocates for gender equality in community participation and response to the epidemic
- links well with government and other actors in a comprehensive approach to the epidemic
- models creative and compassionate responses that inspire many to similarly enhance the dignity and human rights of people infected and affected by the epidemic
- does justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with their God

The HIV Initiative of the International Christian Medical and Dental
Association has announced that the winner of its inaugural
Dignity and Right to Health Award is Dr Biangtung Langkham, who has been
involved in early responses to the twin epidemics of drug use and HIV in
his hometown of Churachandpur, Manipur, India since the early 1990s.
Starting within the Christian community in Manipur, he has gone on to
work across tribal and religious boundaries, facilitating local
community based responses to HIV and substance misuse. The SHALOM
project, as it came to be known, was tackling issues of harm
minimisation and community empowerment in HIV prevention a good decade
or more before such approaches became commonplace. SHALOM is also
involved in providing care for those living with HIV and AIDS. SHALOM
continues as a model faith based organisation (FBO) response to AIDS in
the region, and continues to work effectively with all communities. Click to read more >>

The winner of the 2007 Dignity and Right to Health Award was Dr Ruth Nduati of Kenya for her exemplary work for enhancing the dignity and advocating for the right to health of women and children that are infected and affected by HIV.