British, US medics win Mahidol Award

British, US medics win Mahidol Award

An American cardiologist and a British epidemiologist received the 24th Prince Mahidol Award this year, according to an announcement Thursday.

The two doctors were among 51 candidates from 19 countries nominated for the award this year, said Prasit Watanapa, vice-president of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation.

The Prince Mahidol Award recognises outstanding achievements in medicine and public health worldwide.

American cardiologist and inventor Morton Mower received the award for his work in the field of medicine while British professor of epidemiology Sir Michael Gideon Marmot received the award for his work in public health.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will present the two doctors with the award at the Royal palace on Jan 28 next year.

Both winners will receive a medal, certificate and US$100,000 (3.6 million baht).

Dr Mower was selected for his outstanding work as co-inventor of the Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD) in 1969, said Vicharn Panich, chairman of the foundation's committee of international awards.

First implanted in humans in 1980, the device is now implanted in two million people worldwide and is 99% effective in correcting heart rhythm abnormalities and cardiac arrest.

Thailand has been importing the AICD for 10 years, Dr Vicharn said.

As the AICD is included in the government's healthcare schemes, around 10,000 people can get access to the devices now.

There are 2,000 new implants each year, Dr Vicharn said.

Dr Mower continues to conduct his research at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr Marmot received the award in the field of public health for his use of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) to influence actions to improve health factor evaluation, disease prevention and sustainable human capacity building.

The SDH are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.

These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.

Many countries, including Thailand, are now taking action to address the SDH to improve people's health, Dr Vicharn said.

Dr Marmot is now a professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London (UCL).

He is also the director for the UCL Institute of Health Equity London.

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