TDR and partners of the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) announce the recipients of the first-ever Noel Juban Award, a new distinction established by the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE). The award commemorates Dr Noel Juban, a visionary public health leader, researcher and educator who founded the Philippines hub of SIHI and championed community-engaged social innovation to strengthen health systems and advance health equity.
The Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) is a global network of country-led research hubs that strengthens the effectiveness and scale-up of social innovations in health by generating actionable evidence and connecting innovators with policymakers, researchers and implementers. The network was established in 2014 through TDR’s leadership.
The Noel Juban Award was established to honor outstanding research at the intersection of health and the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). It was presented at two major international conferences in 2025: the 10th CIRIEC (International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy) International Research Conference on Social Economy in Bordeaux, France, and the ICA-CCR (International Cooperative Alliance – Committee on Cooperative Research) Conference in Montreal, Canada.
Dr Noel Juban was a professor in Basic and Clinical Epidemiology at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila with more than 25 years of experience in research, education and training. Photo credit: TDR
At CIRIEC 2025, the award recognized researchers Nathalie Magne and Delphine Vallade for their paper, “The ‘chosen?’ temporary employment in the medical-social sector, facing recruitment difficulties, high turnover, and absenteeism.” Their study offers vital insights into instability in the health and social care workforce and illustrates how SSE approaches can humanize care environments and improve retention.
At the ICA-CCR Conference, the prize was awarded to Thiago de Oliveira Victorino, Arthur Gomes Nery and Rodrigo Lima Range for their quantitative study, “Forecasting financial distress in Brazilian healthcare cooperatives: a regularized logit approach.” Their findings strengthen understanding of financial vulnerabilities within cooperative health institutions.
Thiago de Oliveira Victorino (left), received the Noel Juban Award at the ICA-CCR Conference. Credit: ICA-CCR
The Noel Juban Award reflects Dr Juban’s lifelong commitment to placing communities at the centre of health system transformation. His work demonstrated that social innovation can drive meaningful improvements in health access, quality and equity. The award will continue to elevate research that embodies these principles and provides actionable evidence for policymakers and practitioners worldwide.
For more information, please contact Dr Mihai Mihut.