New York, NY, Oct. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via NGO Wire) Action Against Hunger, a global nonprofit leader in the fight against malnutrition, yesterday was awarded Best Health Campaign in the 2021 PRWeek Purpose Awards for its inspiring global hunger awareness campaign. The PR Week Purpose Awards recognize excellence and leadership in communications and engagement programs that achieve extraordinary results.
PRWeek US launched the Purpose Awards to recognize activations that use creative ideas to further positive causes and to acknowledge the organizations and individuals behind them. The awards celebrate agencies, brands, public sector bodies, nonprofits, and NGOs. Consumers and employees insist that the brands they engage with and organizations they work for communicate what they believe in and stand up publicly for those values. Winning a Purpose Award honors authenticity in this crucial area.
“We were honored to be a finalist among health leaders and creative communicators from Pfizer, Unilever, Walgreens, Krispy Kreme, and we are grateful to PRWeek for this recognition,” said Dr. Charles E. Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger. “Action Against Hunger has a singular purpose to end hunger in our lifetimes, and that won’t be possible without the kind of awareness that moves people to action. The PRWeek award is meaningful for the millions of people we serve in 50 countries around the world since it helps advance our mission by spotlighting the growing issue of global hunger.”
The Best Health category in the PRWeek Purpose Awards recognizes organizations promoting health-related issues through original creative ideas, with special consideration to campaigns effectively changing behaviors and addressing health disparities in communities of color.
“We are being recognized for a 2020 campaign around COVID-19's impact on hunger, and sadly, that is even more relevant now than it was last year. Approximately 811 million people go to bed hungry every night — and in too many parts of the world, hunger can be deadly,” Owubah said.
Action Against Hunger’s Global Hunger Awareness campaign was designed to raise awareness that hunger is more than a food issue — it’s a man-made issue of health and equity. The initiative targeted two key audiences: affluent markets, where the goal was to raise awareness and funds, and vulnerable communities in low- and middle-income countries, where it aimed to promote effective health measures in response to COVID-19, which is particularly dangerous for malnourished people.
Grounded in insight, the campaign was informed by an Action Against Hunger survey that found that most people in affluent countries are not aware that two million children die from hunger each year. Once aware of the issue, 70% expressed interest in supporting the cause. Action Against Hunger’s educational efforts have taken many forms, including a viral campaign with Netflix that featured actors from Cobra Kai and other hit shows who rallied fans to create their own action videos.
In its outreach to vulnerable communities, Action Against Hunger educational efforts promote healthy behaviors. Engaging with local influencers, community-based volunteers, and partner channels, it provides reliable, factual content via social media, radio, SMS, and grassroots outreach from South Sudan to India. Additionally, through innovative activations like “surprise soaps,” which hide toys in soap bars to encourage handwashing among children, the organization provides new ways to limit the spread of COVID-19 and prevent illnesses that exacerbate hunger.
For more information on Action Against Hunger, including these and other award-winning efforts to address the causes and effects of hunger, visit actionagainsthunger.org
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is leading a global movement to end hunger in our lifetimes. It innovates solutions, advocates for change, and reaches 25 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, its 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. It strives to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
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