© German Bundestag / Tobias Koch
Berlin, August 29, 2023 – The 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health will be held under the high patronage of the President of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas. This internationally renowned award honours outstanding lifetime achievements that have significantly contributed to improving global health and uphold the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
„Health is crucial to lead a good life – and to create a better world. The COVID-19 pandemic has painfully demonstrated how closely interconnected and global our health is. It is important to raise awareness about the relationship between health, education, environment, and social determinants – in the spirit of Rudolf Virchow. As an established health policy advocate and current President of the German Bundestag, I am honoured to serve as High Patron of the 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health, to acknowledge innovations and lifetime achievements towards ‘Health for All’”, states President Bas.
Established by the non-profit Virchow Foundation for Global Health, the Virchow Prize for Global Health is an international award endowed with €500,000 and annually presented in Berlin. Laureates are selected based on their innovative and sustainable contributions towards significantly improving the global health landscape and serve as an inspiration for approaching this important task holistically. The deliberation is made by an independent jury comprised of distinguished international experts.
The alignment of the Virchow Prize for Global Health with SDG 3 ‘Health for All’, and its strong interconnection with the other 2030 Agenda goals, harmonises efforts of the international community to achieve the UN SDGs, promotes awareness of global health issues and results in positive synergies.
The high patronage of the President of the German Bundestag underscores the significance of global health as a particularly influential compass for humanitarian, multilateral, peacebuilding, and sustainability-oriented policies. This builds on the October 14, 2022 plenary debate in which the German Parliament discussed the Virchow Prize for Global Health across party lines. In this context, members of parliament reaffirmed their commitment and support for achieving the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.
The 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health laureate will be announced publicly on Monday, September 11 at 10:30 CET. The festive Virchow Prize award ceremony with distinguished international guests from across global health, politics, science, economy, and civil society will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 17:00 CET in the Rotes Rathaus (Berlin City Hall).
About the Virchow Foundation for Global Health
The Virchow Foundation for Global Health was established in 2021 with the support of the Presidents of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities as well as Members of the German Parliament to contribute to the improvement of health worldwide. This purpose is achieved through the joint commitment of highly respected individuals, currently 45 international experts who serve in the Foundation’s committees on an honorary basis. Closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the Virchow Foundation for Global Health raises awareness of global health issues among the public. In this context the Virchow Prize for Global Health, annually awarded on the eve of the beginning of the World Health Summit (WHS), recognises outstanding lifetime achievements or innovations that have significantly contributed to improving global health and achieving ‘Health for All’. Further information on foundation and the prize: www.virchowprize.org
Press release available for download: >Link
Media contact
Steffi Gasteiger (she/her), Communication & Partnerships Manager, Virchow Foundation for Global Health, press@virchow.foundation
