Preventive Healthcare
The current population of ASEAN is currently around 642 million, and it is expected to grow to 660 million by 2025[1]. The rising population will impact to the people quality of life such as changes in people’s lifestyle that may affect to their health. Data from the ASEAN Secretariat1 and World Health Organization (WHO)[2] show that diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disease which are classified as Noncommunicable Disease (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in Southeast Asia. WHO reported that those NCDs are killed around 8,5 million people each year. Those leading causes of death are contributed by changes in people’s lifestyle including smoking, alcohol, fast food, poor diet and insufficient physical activity. Without strong action, the combination of rising population and changes in people’s lifestyle may threaten people’s health and future generations.
One approach to address this issue is through the application of the preventive healthcare, which is defined as:
Preventive healthcare deals with the prevention of illness to decrease the burden of disease and associated risk factors. It aims to prevent human body from a disease, either by preventing the occurrence of disease or by halting a disease in human body3.
Having preventive healthcare measures and facilities may provide many benefits for the people but that will require thorough education on how they work so that the public can take advantage of their existence. People must therefore be educated about preventive healthcare, basic understanding on various illnesses and their symptoms and what it takes to maintain good health. If properly disseminated, preventive healthcare may eliminate early symptoms of any disease, increase lifespan and life expectancy, and prevent large medical bills.
Against this backdrop, the 2020 ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women will focus on preventive healthcare in general and will emphasize how preventive healthcare can bring about positive outcomes for ASEAN. The prize seeks female applicants who are engaged in research or are promoting activities related to the preventive healthcare in the region and who are role models for other women working in and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
[1] ASEAN Secretariat Yearbook 2018, Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, December 2018
2 https://www.who.int/nmh/ncd-tools/who-regions-south-east-asia/en/
3 https://www.colleaga.org/article/what-preventive-healthcare
National Finalists
The United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) are collaborating to strengthen ASEAN science and technology capacity and gender equality and improvement through the annual ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women. The 2020 Prize will provide promising, ASEAN-based, early- to mid-career female scientists with recognition awards from ASEAN and the US Government for their academic and professional achievements.
The ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women 2020 supported by UL focuses on the theme of The Preventive Healthcare.
The prize seeks to award two talented, early career women from the ASEAN region working in applied science.
The top two finalists will consist of one first prize winner that will receive a USD 20,000 award and one honorable mention that will receive a USD 5,000 award.
The 10 National Finalists of the Prize 2020 are below. Please click on the finalists name to see their bio.
Brunei Darusaalam
Dr. Wida Susanty Haji Suhaili
Cambodia
Dr. Chanthol Peng
Indonesia
Dr. Nova Riyanti Yusuf
Lao PDR
Dr. Phonethipsavanh Nouanthong
Malaysia
Dr. Yoke-Fun Chan
Myanmar
Dr. Ther Wint Aung
Philippines
Dr. Maria Ruth B. Pineda-Cortel
Singapore
Dr. Shefaly Shorey
Thailand
Dr. Thanyanan Reungwetwattana
Vietnam
Dr. Tran Thi Thanh Huyen
About Us
ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) brings together Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful and prosperous world.
UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES
Underwriters Laboratories is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UL public safety mission through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving […]
Past Finalists
Recent Winners:
Dr. Yan Zhou – Singapore – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women 2019 Winner
Dr. Gay Jane Perez – Philippines – ASEAN US Science Prize for Women 2018 Winner
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hiep – Vietnam – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women 2017 Winner
Dr. Worajit Setthapun – Thailand – ASEAN – US Science Prize for Women 2016 Winner
Recent Honorable Mentions:
Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela – Philippines – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women – Honorable Mention 2019
Dr. Samsuzana Abd Aziz – Malaysia – ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women – Honorable Mention 2018
Dr. Chong Mei Fong – Malaysia – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women – Honorable Mention 2017
Dr. Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi – Malaysia – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women – Honorable Mention 2016
Past National Finalists:
Dr. Janice Lee – Singapore – ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women 2018 National Finalist 2018
Dr. Fitriya N. Dewi – Indonesia – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women – National Finalist 2017
Dr. Reasmey Tan – Cambodia – ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women National Finalist 2016
CONTACT US
For further information please contact:
Email: scienceprize4women@gmail.com Tel.: +62-21-726-5977