Bangladeshi vaccine scientist, Pakistani microfinanceer among this year's Ramon Magsaysay awardees

Islamab/Dhaka, Aug 31 (PTI) A Bangleshi vaccine scientist and a microfinance pioneer from Pakistan were among five recipients of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award -- regarded as Asian version of Nobel Prize -- announced on Tuesday.

Apart from Dr Firdausi Qri from Banglesh and Muhamm Amj Saqib from Pakistan, or winners are Filipino fisher and community environmentalist Roberto Ballon, American Steven Muncy for humanitarian work and refugee assistance and Indonesian torch bearer for investigative journalism, Watchdoc.

Qri, 70, who has a doctorate from Liverpool University, UK, joined International Centre For Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Banglesh, (an international health research institute based in Dhaka) in 1988.

Today she is credited with developing affordable oral cholera vaccine and typhoid conjugate vaccine for ults, children, and infants. Most of her work is focused in congested slum areas of developing countries .

She is being recognised for “her passion and life-long devotion to scientific profession; her vision of building human and physical infrastructure that will benefit coming generation of Bangleshi scientists, women scientists in particular, and her untiring contributions to vaccine development, vanced biotechnological rapeutics and critical research that has been saving millions of precious lives,” award citation said.

Pakistani development worker Muhamm Amj Saqib, 64, has developed "first-of-its-kind" interest-and-collateral-free microfinance programme, Akhuwat, which uses places of worship to disburse zero-interest loans, recording a phenomenal loan repayment rate of 99.9 per cent.

Akhuwat has taken up a vast array of social support programmes in education, health services, “clos bank”, anti-social discrimination and COVID-19 emergency aid.

Saqib is being recognised for “his intelligence and compassion that enabled him to create largest microfinance institution in Pakistan; his inspiring belief that human goodness and solidarity will find ways to ericate poverty; and his determination to stay with a mission that has alrey helped millions of Pakistani families”, re citation.

Steven Muncy, 64, from US, is being recognised for “his unshakable belief in goodness of man that inspires in ors desire to serve; his life-long dedication to humanitarian work, refugee assistance, and peace building; and his unstinting pursuit of dignity, peace, and harmony for people in exceptionally difficult circumstances in Asia.” Fifty-three year old environmentalist, Roberto Ballon from Philippines is being recognised for “his inspiring determination in leing his fellow fisherfolk to revive a dying fishing industry by creating a sustainable marine environment for this generation and generations to come, and his shining example of how everyday acts of heroism can truly be extraordinary and transformative,” official award statement re.

Watchdoc, Indonesia, is lauded for its emerging leership in "its highly principled cruse for an independent media organisation, its energetic use of investigative journalism, documentary filmmaking, and digital technology in its effort to transform Indonesia’s media landscape, and its commitment to a vision of people mselves as makers of media and shapers of ir own world.” Established in 1957, Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honour.

It celebrates memory and leership example of third Philippine president after whom award is named, and is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled life of late and beloved Filipino leer.

This year’s Magsaysay Award winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing likeness of late President, and a cash prize.

y will be formally conferred Magsaysay Award during formal Presentation Ceremonies to be held on November 28 at Ramon Magsaysay Center in Manila. PTI IND AKJ IND