World Vasectomy Day offers the Elliot-Smith Award to a country and program that demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to building a sustainable and scalable sexual and reproductive health program for men, including vasectomy.
With the award comes a year-long commitment to provide support for the winning program and organization, including site visits, webinars and direct program assistance. The award consists of a combination of cash, technical support, medical training, supplies, research and demand generation programs valued in excess of $10,000.00. The award is named in honor of Dr. Arthur Elliot-Smith, renowned urologist and surgeon and one of the early advocates for Vasectomy in the UK.
Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1901, he trained in Clare College, Cambridge, University College Hospital and the Royal Post-Graduate Hospital, London. Then in 1939, Dr. Elliot-Smith was appointed Consultant Surgeon to the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. A renowned surgeon, a highly respected teacher and a modest man with a constant air of serenity, he left behind a legacy of excellence in care for others to follow.
A fearless advocate for vasectomy, Dr. Elliot-Smith helped launch the Simon Trust Vasectomy Clinic in 1970. Despite prevailing doubts about male sterilization, during their first two years, the clinic was responsible for over 2,000 out-patient vasectomies. A man committed to caring for the planet, Dr. Elliot-Smith felt that a vasectomy was a man’s greatest gift to family and the environment. After his death, the health institution he had helped build was renamed the Elliot-Smith Clinic and by 2014, 40,000+ surgeries had been performed, all under local anaesthesia.
To honor his exceptional commitment to our field, World Vasectomy Day is proud to announce the Arthur Elliot-Smith Award for Excellence in Developing a Sustainable Vasectomy Program.
During last year’s 2019 celebration, three members of their extraordinary team – Solange Galvez, Nellie Campaña and Cecilia Paredes – came to our headquarters at Profamilia in Bogota, Colombia. Inspired by the trip, they invited Dr. Michel Labrecque, Dr. Esgar Guarin and Dra. Eloisa Gonzalez to return in March. As well as organizing a half day symposium and training 3 new providers, 128 men chose to get a vasectomy as an act of solidarity during International Women’s Day.
Although disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, they continued to provide vasectomies throughout and remain enthusiastic partners in our shared commitment to build a vibrant vasectomy program in Ecuador.
One organization, MSI Bolivia, rose up to meet the challenge.
They have grown from less than 50 procedures in 2019 to 232 in 2020 to over 600 men signed up to get a vasectomy in November alone!
They invited WVD doctors, Michel Labrecque and John Curington to lead a week-long training program.
They ran an extensive social media campaign, hosted an expert panel, and opened their doors to other Bolivian FP organizations.
Guided by a rights-driven philosophy that promotes children by choice while guaranteeing that men and women can choose the family planning method that works for them, they serve as inspiration to others the world over.
