On Sept. 20 (local time), the Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation announced that it had held the “17th Kochon Prize Ceremony” at the U.N. Headquarters in New York on Sept. 21.
This year, the Kochon Prize focused on the theme of “Recognition for medical professionals who do not give up on tuberculosis treatment even in conflict zones.” Among the awardees were the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health; the Southern Kherson Tuberculosis Medical Center in Ukraine; and Ms. Zhanna Karpenko, the head of the Chernihiv Regional Medical Center. Two organizations and one individual were selected as joint recipients.
Notably, the ceremony took place as a side event during a high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. Ji Young-mi, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, delivered a congratulatory speech. From the organizing committee, Kim Du-hyeon, the chairman of the Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation, and Lee Jang-han, the president of Chong Kun Dang, attended.
The Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health in Ukraine, an awardee, operates the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) and has been recognized for its contributions to treating over 12,000 tuberculosis patients even during wartime.
Kim Du-hyeon, chairman of the Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation, said, “This year’s awardees are genuine medical professionals who did not give up on patients even in dire conditions due to war. We hope that today’s globally watched event will be a huge support for the diverse medical and relief activities that various organizations and individuals will carry out in the future.”