A professor from a Liverpool University-led clean air project has been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Professor Miriam Were has been recognised for her work in public health over a 50-year career.
Born and raised in Kenya, Professor Were is currently the community engagement and involvement lead for the University of Liverpool -led CLEAN-Air (Africa) Global Health Research Group.
READ MORE: Scouser cancels plans to watch Netflix and eat Pringles and heads to Ukraine border to help refugees
The research group aims to provide evidence for policies to address the burden of infectious and chronic diseases from household air pollution, as well as conducting a program of research in Cameroon, Ghana and Kenya to support communities adopt clean household energy.
Then CLEAN-Air (Africa) Group also includes research experts from the universities of Liverpool, Moi and Ghana; Kenya Medical Research Institute, Douala General Hospital (Cameroon) and Kintampo Health Research Centre (Ghana).
Professor Were agreed to join the project in 2021 having been an advocate for Kenya’s community health workforce and key to the countries aspirations for Universal Health Coverage.
She previously worked as chief of health and nutrition with Unicef Ethiopia, as well as providing input into the World Health Organization as a key representative.
After being nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, she said: "“Peace and health are the foundation for the well-being of humanity and the planet.
“I believe in the community approach as the modality for promoting both peace and health by empowering individuals and communities to lead in solving their problems including those articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Professor Dan Pope, Director of CLEAN-Air (Africa), added: “We were delighted and humbled when Mama Miriam agreed to join our Global Health Research Group to offer her wealth of experience and extremely valuable insights into our strategy of community engagement as we seek to expand CLEAN-Air(Africa) in East Africa.
“We are extremely excited to be able to be guided by her as we seek to understand how best to address the global public health priority of household air pollution through community transition to clean household energy.
"Professor Were’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is testament to her lifetime of promoting community health and advocating for community empowerment and we are thrilled she has received this recognition.”
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901.
The will of Alfred Nobel, whose fortune was used to establish the award, stated that it was to be awarded to the person "who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".
In previous years it has been won by Malala, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
