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
Science Prize for Women
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.
Dr. Zhou Yan
Dr. Zhou Yan is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), and Deputy Director of Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Center (AEBC) under Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research efforts have been focused on energy efficient water treatment and reclamation, and resources recovery from […]
Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela
Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (DMMME), University of the Philippines (UP). She currently heads a dynamic research group, the Sustainable Electronic Materials Group, which aims to develop sustainable materials for electronics, environmental and energy application. The research group has developed a regenerative method […]
Dr. Sri Suhartini
Dr. Sri Suhartini is currently working as a senior lecturer at the Department of Agro-industrial Technology (AIT), Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia. She has recently been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of AIT. Prior to joining Universitas Brawijaya, Dr. Suhartini was a research assistant in bioenergy at the Center of […]
Dr. Phetnakhone Xaixongdeth
Dr. Phetnakhone Xaixongdeth is currently a lecturer and leads research projects at the Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos. She is also the leader of the women union at the Environmental Engineering Department, thus actively applies for research grants to gain funding support for members of the women union, as well […]
Dr. Suriani Abu Bakar
Dr. Suriani Abu Bakar is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia. She was also the former Director of UPSI Press. She also leads the Nanotechnology Lab at her workplace. Her research is in the field of Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology and Renewable focusing on the synthesis of carbon-based […]
Dr. Moe Thanda Kyi
Dr. Moe Thanda Kyi is currently Pro-Rector (Administration and Research) of the Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University (MAEU). She has served in the government under the Ministry of Education for twenty years and seven months. Throughout her career as a civil servant, Dr. Moe Thanda has served three functions: Management, Teaching and Research. She trains her […]
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.
UL
UL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies.
Past Finalists
Recent Winners:
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. 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