Double winner Albert Schweitzer Prize 2022: ‘Building bridges for broken bones’

This year’s Albert Schweitzer ‘Health Pioneer of the Year 2022’ and the Audience Award 2022 go to Joost Binnerts (tropical doctor Shirati KMT Hospital, Tanzania) and his local partner Jovine Okoth. They won both prizes for their ‘Building bridges for broken bones’ project in Tanzania. The expert jury of the Albert Schweitzer Prize led by Marion Koopmans (virologist Erasmus MC) unanimously chose the project as the winner of the main prize. A kickstart of €7,000 with accompanying title and award. The project also received the most votes from the public in the voting campaign. Joost and Jovine thus won a further €2,000 with the public prize. The award ceremony took place on Saturday 8 October 2022 at the AFAS head office in Leusden.

The Albert Schweitzer Prize is the award presented by the Netherlands Albert Schweitzer Fund (NASF), initiator of the prize, to young health pioneers with innovative ideas to promote health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Always together with an African partner and with the support of the local population. AFAS Foundation is a partner of the award.

From the nine participating projects , the expert jury chose three nominees for the jury prize. Bente van der Meijden with her project ‘A better life for children with cerebral palsy‘, Malawi.Mind in Motion, Kenya a dance project by Wouter Bekker, Line Francken, Suleiman Maningi and Vincent Owoko. And Joost Binnerts and Jovine Okoth with their project ‘Building bridges for broken bones’. They pitched their project to the expert jury and the audience present during the award ceremony. Joost and Jovine ultimately won the jury prize.

With their project, Joost Binnerts(tropical doctor Shirati KMT Hospital, Tanzania) and his African partner Jovine Okoth want to explore a collaboration between the hospital (formal care) and local bonesetters (informal care) in the treatment of patients with bone fractures, in order to combine the best of both worlds. Joost: ‘The aim of our project is to create a joint triage and treatment plan that will better select patients who need surgery. In order to prevent serious complications’. More information

Joost: ‘A bonesetter is an often elderly man who tries to heal a fracture using local tools. Most learned the trade from their father. Their tools are diverse such as massage (joint manipulation), herbs to be applied to the skin and applying warm wraps to the fracture area. They also play an important role in spiritual counselling of patients.

‘The ‘Building bridges for broken bones’ project was not only very well thought-out but also very convincingly presented,’ said Marion Koopmans, chair of the expert jury. ‘The idea of improving local care by combining traditional and Western medicine fits with a modern view of cooperation in low-income countries and appealed to us very much. Cooperation with bonesetters based on mutual trust is, we think, an excellent choice and key to success. It was also clear that the prizewinner has thought carefully about possible bottlenecks. We are eagerly awaiting his feedback next year’.

Joost: ‘Jovine and I are extremely happy and honoured with both awards. Not only for the confirmation from professionals that we are on the right track, but also because we now have the financial kickstart we need to get started! From next month, we will start working on the first bricks of our bridge to bonesetters, by engaging with them about their experiences, perspectives and ideas for a successful collaboration’!

This year, the expert jury consisted of jury president Prof Dr Marion Koopmans (virologist Erasmus MC Rotterdam) and jury members Gerben Eversdijk, director AFAS Foundation; Jelle Visser, winner Albert Schweitzer Prize 2016/2017 project ‘Prevent podoconiosis (elephant feet), wear shoes, Ethiopia, Fellow Infectious Diseases; Tjitske Vreugdenhil, director Dutch Albert Schweitzer Fund, Projects portfolio and former tropical doctor.

The Netherlands Albert Schweitzer Fund (NASF), a foundation that facilitates small-scale health projects in Africa, thereby continuing the legacy of Dr Albert Schweitzer, is awarding the Albert Schweitzer Prize for the 11th time this year. With this, the foundation annually encourages young people in the Netherlands with a medical or technical education to come up with smart and innovative ideas to improve health in Sub-Saharan Africa. And thus become health pioneers. Someone who opens up new avenues and fields of healthcare in Africa and wants to put his or her talents at the service of fellow human beings. Just like Dr Albert Schweitzer, physician and Nobel Prize winner and namesake of the NASF did. Passion for health, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and drive are traits that characterise participants in the Albert Schweitzer Prize.

©Photos– Favori – Rianne Temmermans-www.favori.nl