KUALA LUMPUR: Mercy Malaysia founder Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood became the first recipient of Bahrain’s Isa Award for Services to Humanity for her efforts in disaster prevention and relief, education, community service, environment protection, climate change and poverty alleviation.

Dr Jemilah, who was chosen from a list of more than 100 humanitarians from across the world by a special committee, will receive a gold medal and a US$1mil (RM3.05mil) cash award, Bahrain’s Gulf Daily news reported Wednesday.

She was selected as the laureate of the first edition of the award due to her continuous work, including the establishment of a maternity and health centre for women in Darfur, Sudan in 2004.

Under her leadership, Mercy Malaysia rebuilt 13 health centres in cooperation with Myanmar’s Health Ministry after Cyclone Nargis hit the country in 2008.

She helped the people of Banda Aceh, one of the poorest communities in Indonesia after the tsunami disaster in December 2004 and the destructive earthquake that ensued in March 2005, by rebuilding two health centres and renovated the island’s Gunung Sitoli Hospital.

Meanwhile, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported the Head of the Award’s Nominations Committee, Professor Jan Paulsson as saying that Dr Jemilah’s selection reflects the impact of her work on Asian and African communities, as radical changes in those regions can be seen.

“Her visionary work focuses not only on short-term and immediate assistance to disaster-stricken communities, but also on long-term rehabilitation and training of local workers to enable them to continue to help and provide recovery efforts after the completion of relief work,” he said.

He also said that during the review of the candidates the Nominations Committee realised the highly important role that Dr Jemilah played in providing such a unique humanitarian services and this role has qualified her to be one of the most influential figures in this regard.

Award’s secretary general Ali Abdullah Khalifa said that Dr Jemilah was considered the most competent candidate for the award as she often put her life in the heart of danger.

“This proves her determination and unlimited desire to serve humanity,” BNA quoted him as saying.

Dr Jemilah is expected to be honoured and presented with the award at an official ceremony that will be held this month, under the patronage of the King of Bahrain, Hamad Isa Al Khalifa.

The Board of Trustess of the Isa Award for Services to Humanity made the announcemnt of the award’s winner at a press conference on Tuesday.

The Isa award, established in 2009 and the first of its kind in the Arab world, honours individuals and organisations around the globe for outstanding services to humanity regrdless of their race, religion, culture, beliefs or locations.

The biennial award is named after the late Amir of Bahrain Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. – Bernama