Press Release
Demographer John Caldwell and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital Win 2004 United Nations Population Award
26 April 2004
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Internationally acclaimed demographer, John C. Caldwell, and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, a pioneer in the treatment of childbirth injuries, have won the 2004 United Nations Population Award. The Award is given annually to individuals and institutions for their outstanding work in the field of population and in the improvement of the health and welfare of individuals.
The Award Committee, chaired by Ambassador Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury of Bangladesh, selected the two winners after a review of nominations received from around the world. The Committee is made up of Member States of the United Nations, with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, serving as its secretariat. Each winner will receive a certificate, a gold medal and an equal share of a monetary prize. Awards will be presented to winners in July at a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters, New York.
Mr. Caldwell, this year’s winner in the individual category, is one of the most influential and prolific scientists in the field of population, according to nomination papers sent to the Award Committee. He has published well over 300 articles and his work to frame the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa as a demographic, epidemiological and sociocultural phenomenon is unparalleled. Mr. Caldwell’s 1976 paper, “Restatement of demographic transition theory,” which examines changing directions of intergenerational wealth flows, remains the single most influential work in this area, according to the nomination papers. The majority of his research concentrates on sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and he is Emeritus Professor of Demography in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University, Canberra.
The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital won the award for outstanding achievement as an institution. Founded in 1974, it uniquely specializes in the treatment and care of women living with obstetric fistula, a devastating childbirth injury that damages a woman’s birth canal and leaves her incontinent. The hospital provides free medical care to over 1,200 women annually and has treated over 25,000 women. It uses a holistic approach to restore the health and dignity of fistula sufferers and offers literacy classes, physiotherapy and support to help women rejoin their communities once they are cured. The hospital has also become a teaching institution for surgeons throughout Ethiopia and the developing world.
The Economic and Social Council elects Members of the Award Committee for three-year terms. Current members include Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cameroon, Guyana, Iran, Kenya, the Netherlands and Peru. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid serve as ex-officio members.
There were 10 nominations for the 2004 Population Award, five in each category. Nominations can be made by: Member States; intergovernmental organizations engaged in population-related activities; population related non-governmental organizations having consultative status with the United Nations; university professors of population or related studies; heads of population-related institutions; and past laureates.
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UNFPA is the world’s largest multilateral source of population assistance. Since it became operational in 1969, the Fund has provided substantial assistance to developing countries, at their request, to address their population and development needs.
Contact Information:
Micol Zarb
Tel.: +1 212 297 5042
Email: zarb@unfpa.org
