Dr Lourdes Capito recognised as a Heroine of Health 2022
Leading Change: Heroines of Health 2022
On 17 October 2022, Women in Global Health held a gala event on the sidelines of the World Health Summit, “Leading Change: Heroines of Health”. The awards celebrate the achievements and leadership of women in health.
Now in its fifth year, the Heroines of Health Awards offer women a platform for action to highlight vulnerabilities in the health system and demonstrate how they have been mobilising for change. The event is attended by global leaders and puts the spotlight on traditionally unrecognised women who are the backbone of global health systems.
Dr Lourdes Capito: family planning heroine
Nominated by FIGO, Dr Lourdes Capito was recognised as one of the Heroines of Health 2022 for her work in the Philippines on family planning and adolescent health. She is a pioneer in the training of health care workers on sub-dermal contraceptive implants with a focus on geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of her country.
She explains: “We are making sure that the groups we train are knowledgeable in all forms of family planning, from traditional to modern. They then go to areas where women are hardest to reach.”
Dr Capito is the Chair of FIGO's Committee on the Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women’s Health, leading on the formulation of ethical guidelines for women's health and the incorporation of ethics in all aspects of work of the organisation. She says:
I am so honoured and humbled that FIGO has considered me worthy of the nomination, and even more overwhelmed that I was chosen as one of the awardees!