Nurul Islam Hasib of DT wins Global AMR Media Award

Nurul Islam Hasib, Special Correspondent, Dhaka Tribune.

Dhaka, Nov 8 -- Dhaka Tribune’s Special Correspondent, Nurul Islam Hasib, has been awarded the first prize in the South-East Asia (SEARO) category of the Global AMR Media Award.

The announcement was made on Thursday during the 4th Edition of the Annual Global Media Forum, which was held virtually in the lead-up to World AMR Awareness Week 2024, scheduled for November 18–24.

AMR stands for antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to antimicrobial medicines such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.

This resistance makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.

The Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) announced the award earlier this year and invited entries from May 15 to October 22.

During the nomination period, there were 413 entries from 43 countries, with 42% of those reports coming from the Southeast Asia region.

A panel of 22 judges, including health experts, editors, and AMR survivors, selected 38 awardees from around the world.

Anuradha Mascarenhas, Senior Editor at The Indian Express, won second prize, and Dhan Bahadur Khadka, Executive Editor of Swasthya Khabar Patrika in Nepal, won the third prize in South-East Asia category.

Anna Turns, a freelance environmental journalist from the UK, won the first prize in the global category while Kerry Cullinan, Deputy Editor of Health Policy Watch in Geneva, won second prize, and Kat Lay, The Guardian's global health correspondent, third prize.

Nurul Islam Hasib is currently the President of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB).

He was elected General Secretary of the Dhaka Reporters Unity, the largest association of reporters in Bangladesh, in 2022.

A doctor-turned-journalist, Nurul Islam Hasib is also the founding organizing secretary of the Bangladesh Health Reporters’ Forum.

Experts from the WHO, FAO, UNEP, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) were the panelists at Thursday’s webinar, moderated by Shobha Shukla, Executive Director of CNS and Chairperson of GAMA.

Annabelle Mandeng, a German film and TV actress, hosted the award announcement ceremony.

This year’s World AMR Awareness Week carries even more significance following the recently concluded UNGA High-Level Meeting on AMR, where world leaders adopted a Political Declaration that strengthens the global response to antimicrobial resistance. - UNB