On the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York City, Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation celebrated a decade of global health accomplishments that have helped to create a more inclusive world for people with intellectual disabilities. The event was a clarion call for greater support for people with intellectual disabilities from governments, philanthropies, and the private sector.
The event was hosted by Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Dr. Alicia Bazzano and the Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello. Speakers included the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, Special Olympics Athlete Leaders Nyasha Derera and Gilmour Borg, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Francesco Rocca, and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.
The event hosted the Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards which recognize health champions who are making a significant contribution to secure equal access to health, fitness or wellness for people with intellectual disabilities in the global community . The highest Special Olympics honor for health partners, the Awards were presented to seven leaders in advancing health equity including: Dr. Adib Jaber from Lebanon, Rebecca Morley from the United States, the General Incorporated Association of Japan Lions, Sands China Ltd. from Macau, the School of Odontology of the Universidad de Valparaiso from Chile, Dr. Serhiy Komisarenko from Ukraine, and Speak Up Africa from Senegal.
