Oaxaca Congress Declares April 15 as Day of the Scientific Health Researcher

The LXVI Legislature of the State Congress of Oaxaca approved a decree with 30 votes, establishing April 15 each year as the Day of the Scientific Health Researcher in Oaxaca and instituting an annual public recognition award for outstanding contributions in health research and innovation. The proposal was driven by Deputy Tania López López of the Morena parliamentary group. The Health and Culture and Arts commissions issued the decree. The award will be coordinated by the Health legislative body, with participation from academic institutions and the State Committee of Research, and presented in a solemn session convened by the Junta de Coordinación Política and the Congress Board. Oaxaca becomes the first Mexican state to create an institutional framework to publicly honor health scientists, emphasizing inclusion of women researchers and the role of scientific research in public health, disease prevention, and quality of life.