Rubén Pancca of Bolivia received the Clarence Moore Award for voluntarism in Health Services

The Pan American Health and Education Foundation presented this year's Clarence H. Moore Award to Ruben Pancca for his outstanding work, leadership and dedication to improving health, the environment, and education and basic services in Cochabamba, Bolivia. This year the Award was shared with the Cancer Society of Bahamas.

A certificate and cash prize of $1,000 were presented by Dr. José Antonio Pagés, PAHO/WHO Representative, at a World Health Day ceremony held on April 4 by the Minister of Health of Bolivia. Dr. Pagés noted that for more than 40 years Mr. Pancca has lead, managed and directed projects and resources to help people of Cochabamba. Mr. Pancca has promoted the creation of OTEPLAN a voluntary institution, which promotes community health projects.

This award that acknowledges outstanding voluntary contributions by NGOs or individuals in areas of health relevant to the programme of work of PAHO is well deserved," observed Pages. Among national health, international and local authorities attended the ceremony were, Dr. Guillermo Cuentas Yañez, Minister of Health of Bolivia.

Clarence H. Moore was a distinguished public administrator serving in the United Nations, PAHO, and the Foundation. A man of high idealism and altruistic motivation whose formative years were colored by the Great Depression. He believed that collective action, both through the public sector and on a voluntary basis, could play a leading role in fighting poverty and maintaining human dignity.

As a public foundation based in Washington, DC, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) raises funds for public health needs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Foundation works closely with its partner, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization for the Region of the Americas, to combat disease, vaccinate children, improve sanitation, make safe drinking water available, improve maternal/child care, and expand medical care services, health research and the training of healthcare students and workers.

For more information visit the Foundation's site at: Http://www.paho.org/Foundation