Phuong is being recognised for “her spirit of public service and the message of hope she continues to propagate among her people. At the same time, her work serves as a dire warning for the world to avoid war at all costs as its tragic repercussions can reach far into the future. She offers proof that it can never be too late to right the wrongs of war, and gain justice and relief for its hapless victims,” according to the official information kit on the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees.

Born in 1944, Phuong is currently President of the Ho Chi Minh City Society for Reproductive Medicine (HOSREM), Vice-President of the Vietnam Association for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (VAGO), and Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, first presented in1957, is given to persons—regardless of race, nationality, creed, or gender—and organisations who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions that have transformed their societies for the better.

The awarding ceremony will take place on November 16 in Manila. Besides Phuong, this year’s Award also honours Karma Phuntsho (Bhutan), Farwiza Farhan (Indonesia), Miyazaki Hayao (Japan), and the Rural Doctors Movement of Thailand./. VNA