 Father
Ernesto Martearena received the Pan American Health and Education Foundation's
Clarence Moore Award 2001 for Voluntarism in Health Services
The Pan American Health and Education Foundation presented this year's
Clarence H. Moore Award to Father Ernesto Martearena and Programas Sociales
Comunitarios for their outstanding volunteer work to improve the living
conditions in the ethnic region of Salta, Argentina. Father Martearena
was an exceptional leader who carried out programs in the area of public
health service, water and basic sanitation, and health environment in
rural communities of Salta. He worked with the poor, the indigenous peoples,
the elderly and street children. Father Martearena was assassinated last
October and the award was given posthumously, on December 18, at the Teatro
Municipal of Salta.
A certificate and cash prize of $2,500 were presented on this occasion
by Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Assistant Director of the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) to the President of Programas Sociales Comunitarios,
Mr. Jorge Alvarez.
"As an international organization, PAHO knew of the excellent volunteer
work that Father Marteareana carried out during these last two decades
in this diverse community of Salta. With his leadership, he helped to
eradicate diseases such as polio, chicken pox, and elevate the quality
of living conditions of the people of this region. Unfortunately, I personally
did not have the opportunity to meet him, but today we recognize all that
he has done in this community. His work is an example for all of us",
observed Dr. Roses.
Mr. Jorge Alvarez noted that Programas Sociales Comunitarios serves
thousands of people in this region. "Today we can understand and recognize
what Father Martearena did for all of us. Daily more than 2000 people
receive lunches in the shelters he constructed. We will continue his work,
I am very sure we will continue it until the end."
Among national and international health authorities who attended this
ceremony, were Dr. Juan Manuel Sotelo, PAHO/WHO Representative in Argentina,
Dr. Néstor Nicolás, Operations Director of White Helmets Commission, Dr.
Francisco Martini, Chief of Advisors, Ministry of Health, Dr. Abraham
Stoliar, Director, National Program for Indigenous Affairs, Dr. Orlando
Porratti, Secretary of the State of Salta for Social Development, Dr.
Luis Ruiz Huidobro, Director of Environmental Health, Ministry of Public
Health, and Ms. Jess Gersky, Executive Director of the Pan American Health
and Education Foundation,.
Clarence H. Moore, for whom the Award is named, 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 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 information about the 2002 award and the call for nominations and
the Foundation's International Award Program please visit: www.paho.org/Foundation
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