A Mumbai-based paediatrician has been presented with a $100,000 award by US-based NGO World of Children for positively impacting the health of thousands of children.
Gopa Kothari, who founded the Child Eye Care Charitable Trust in Mumbai in 1982, was awarded the Cardinal Health Children's Care Award in Unicef House here Tuesday.
World of Children is a non-profit organisation whose mission is "to honour, illuminate and inspire action on behalf of children by raising global awareness of the plight of children and by recognising and bringing together individuals who have had a profoundly positive effect on the well-being of children".
Kothari realised unless there was significant improvement in the health and living conditions in the slums of Mumbai, children living there faced a grim future, said the citation.
"Kothari decided to do something about it and created her trust.
As a result of Kothari's efforts, 68,000 children have been protected from preventable blindness, more than 1.3 million women have received health education to protect their children, and more than 5,000 children have received non-formal education.
"Kothari's work has not only impacted children and families throughout Mumbai, as well as other Indian cities, including New Delhi, as also villages in Gujarat, she has guided a similar programme in Lima, Peru."
The 2004 award recipients were selected by the World of Children's
International Advisory Council, led by boxing legend and UN Ambassador of Peace Mohammad Ali.
--Indo-Asian News Service