Anita Abada, a Nigerian filmmaker and editor, Anita Abada, has emerged winner of the second World Health Organisation (WHO) Health for All Film Festival award in the health educational film category.
WHO’s director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, announced this in his speech posted on the UN health Agency website.
Ghebreyesus said Abada became a winner of the special prize for a health educational film for youth, titled Efun.
The director-general said Efun, directed by Abada, focused on the challenging topic of female genital mutilation.
Ghebreyesus, who congratulated Abada, said the winners would receive trophies and a grant of $10,000 to invest in further audiovisual production on health today.
“For each of the three main categories, there was a grand prix winner as well as a special mention from the jury,” he said.
The director-general, therefore, thanked everyone who participated in the 2021 Health for All Film Festival.
He also appreciated the 1,200 filmmakers, who shared their work with WHO, the jury members, who gave their time and expertise, and the workforce across the world that made it all possible.
“We launched the festival in 2020 as the world was facing the shared threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The lesson has been strong and clear: the only way to take on shared threats is to work together, in solidarity.
“The WHO Health for All Film Festival was founded on the idea that solidarity begins with shared experience.
“The individuals and communities who are sharing their stories in this festival are shining a powerful light on the different ways that people around the world experience health and health care.”
In an extraordinary demonstration of creative energy and enthusiasm, he said the second edition of the film festival attracted nearly 1,200 short film submissions from 110.
“I want to appreciate them for the commitment shown in bringing this film festival to life, spreading the word at the country and regional levels, and helping with the initial sift of entries,” the director-general said. (NAN)
