January 4th, 2008, 15:37
When waiting around the lobby of Cabbages and Condoms restaurant ( Hotel now changed name to now changed to Birds and Bees ) I saw the Gates Award on display. It was news to me and maybe to you.
May 29, 2007 - Gates Foundation
Groundbreaking Thai Health Program Receives 2007 Gates Award for Global Health
Population and Community Development Association honored for innovative family planning and HIV prevention programs
SEATTLE┬а-- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) of Thailand has won the 2007 Gates Award for Global Health, in recognition of its pioneering work in family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.
The $1 million Gates AwardтАФthe worldтАЩs largest prize for international healthтАФhonors extraordinary efforts to improve health in developing countries.┬аPDA was selected from more than 90 nominees by a jury of international health leaders. Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates FoundationтАЩs Global Health Program, will present the award to Mechai Viravaidya, founder and chairman of PDA, at the Global Health CouncilтАЩs 34th Annual International Conference on Global Health in Washington, DC, on May 31.
тАЬThe Population and Community Development Association has given millions of Thais the opportunity to live healthier lives, and has shown the world that effective HIV prevention and family planning are possible in even the poorest communities,тАЭ said Dr. Yamada. тАЬFor more than three decades, PDA and Mechai Viravaidya have been at the forefront of innovation in international public health.тАЭ
Founded in 1974 to provide family planning education to women in rural Thailand, PDA is now the countryтАЩs largest non-profit organization.┬аIts full-time staff of 600, along with more than 12,000 volunteers, has reached more than 10 million Thais in nearly 18,000 villages and poor urban communities. PDAтАЩs HIV prevention and family planning programs are renowned in the global public health field, and have provided models for other countries to follow. PDA and Viravaidya played a pivotal role in establishing ThailandтАЩs national HIV prevention campaign in 1991, which led to a dramatic decline in new HIV infections. PDA has trained nearly 3,000 health workers from 50 countries in HIV prevention, family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and other health issues.
тАЬWhen we began our work in 1974, we couldnтАЩt have imagined a health crisis on the scale of HIV/AIDS,тАЭ said Viravaidya. тАЬI was thrilled to see PDAтАЩs staff and volunteers rise to the challenge of the epidemic, and I am deeply honored to accept this award on their behalf.тАЭ
PDAтАЩs achievements to date include:
тАв Working with the Thai government to establish a national HIV prevention program, leading to an 87% reduction in new HIV infections
тАв Developing innovative commercial ventures such as тАЬCabbages and CondomsтАЭ restaurants and тАЬBirds and BeesтАЭ resorts to fund community health and development projects
тАв Introducing community-based family planning programs that have helped to reduce annual population growth in Thailand by more than two-thirds since the mid-1970s
тАЬMechai Viravaidya is widely known as ThailandтАЩs тАШCondom King,тАЩ a testament to his extraordinary popularity as well as his personal leadership in family planning and HIV prevention,тАЭ said Dr. Nils Daulaire, president and CEO of the Global Health Council. тАЬThe world needs more leaders like Mechai, who are willing to tackle taboo subjects like sex and HIV/AIDS directly in order to save lives.тАЭ.....
Full article:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHe ... 070529.htm (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHealth/Announcements/Announce-070529.htm)
Congratulations Mechai!!
http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.co.th/ The hotel is a delight and my cousin and her husband are very pleased to be staying there. The restaurant is very good.
The authorized biography of Mechai Viravaidya - From Condoms to Cabbages by Thomas D'Agnes is widely available. I found it very interesting and am full of admiration for the guy. He is 50% Scottish and 50% Thai.
May 29, 2007 - Gates Foundation
Groundbreaking Thai Health Program Receives 2007 Gates Award for Global Health
Population and Community Development Association honored for innovative family planning and HIV prevention programs
SEATTLE┬а-- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) of Thailand has won the 2007 Gates Award for Global Health, in recognition of its pioneering work in family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.
The $1 million Gates AwardтАФthe worldтАЩs largest prize for international healthтАФhonors extraordinary efforts to improve health in developing countries.┬аPDA was selected from more than 90 nominees by a jury of international health leaders. Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates FoundationтАЩs Global Health Program, will present the award to Mechai Viravaidya, founder and chairman of PDA, at the Global Health CouncilтАЩs 34th Annual International Conference on Global Health in Washington, DC, on May 31.
тАЬThe Population and Community Development Association has given millions of Thais the opportunity to live healthier lives, and has shown the world that effective HIV prevention and family planning are possible in even the poorest communities,тАЭ said Dr. Yamada. тАЬFor more than three decades, PDA and Mechai Viravaidya have been at the forefront of innovation in international public health.тАЭ
Founded in 1974 to provide family planning education to women in rural Thailand, PDA is now the countryтАЩs largest non-profit organization.┬аIts full-time staff of 600, along with more than 12,000 volunteers, has reached more than 10 million Thais in nearly 18,000 villages and poor urban communities. PDAтАЩs HIV prevention and family planning programs are renowned in the global public health field, and have provided models for other countries to follow. PDA and Viravaidya played a pivotal role in establishing ThailandтАЩs national HIV prevention campaign in 1991, which led to a dramatic decline in new HIV infections. PDA has trained nearly 3,000 health workers from 50 countries in HIV prevention, family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and other health issues.
тАЬWhen we began our work in 1974, we couldnтАЩt have imagined a health crisis on the scale of HIV/AIDS,тАЭ said Viravaidya. тАЬI was thrilled to see PDAтАЩs staff and volunteers rise to the challenge of the epidemic, and I am deeply honored to accept this award on their behalf.тАЭ
PDAтАЩs achievements to date include:
тАв Working with the Thai government to establish a national HIV prevention program, leading to an 87% reduction in new HIV infections
тАв Developing innovative commercial ventures such as тАЬCabbages and CondomsтАЭ restaurants and тАЬBirds and BeesтАЭ resorts to fund community health and development projects
тАв Introducing community-based family planning programs that have helped to reduce annual population growth in Thailand by more than two-thirds since the mid-1970s
тАЬMechai Viravaidya is widely known as ThailandтАЩs тАШCondom King,тАЩ a testament to his extraordinary popularity as well as his personal leadership in family planning and HIV prevention,тАЭ said Dr. Nils Daulaire, president and CEO of the Global Health Council. тАЬThe world needs more leaders like Mechai, who are willing to tackle taboo subjects like sex and HIV/AIDS directly in order to save lives.тАЭ.....
Full article:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHe ... 070529.htm (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHealth/Announcements/Announce-070529.htm)
Congratulations Mechai!!
http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.co.th/ The hotel is a delight and my cousin and her husband are very pleased to be staying there. The restaurant is very good.
The authorized biography of Mechai Viravaidya - From Condoms to Cabbages by Thomas D'Agnes is widely available. I found it very interesting and am full of admiration for the guy. He is 50% Scottish and 50% Thai.