The Navajo Nation Air is Life Health Coalition
Represented by Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson

We are thrilled to present this year’s Champion Award to the Navajo Nation Air is Life Health Coalition for its outstanding leadership in advocating for two landmark policies to reduce use of commercial tobacco products and protect the health of the Navajo people. The coalition will be represented by Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson, a coalition co-founder and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Vice President of the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health, and a nationally recognized scientific expert on the impact of commercial tobacco products on American Indian Tribes and communities.

After 13 years of education and advocacy efforts by the Air is Life Coalition, Navajo Nation leaders in 2021 enacted the Niłch'í Éí Bee Ííńá – Air is Life Act, which prohibits the use of all commercial tobacco products in workplaces and public places in the Navajo Nation. Then, in November 2024, Navajo Nation leaders enacted a comprehensive tobacco tax policy developed by the Air is Life Coalition, which increased the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack and imposed a tax on e-cigarettes and other commercial nicotine products. The new revenue helps fund the Office of Traditional Cultural and Spiritual Healing within the Navajo Department of Health and provides grants to Navajo traditional healer organizations that are instrumental in teaching Navajo youth about the differences between ceremonial and commercial tobacco.

These historic actions are a testament to the leadership and perseverance of the Air is Life Coalition. They will protect the health of the Navajo people for generations to come, while helping to reclaim ceremonial tobacco from the exploitative practices of the commercial tobacco industry. The Navajo Nation is the largest Indigenous territory and federally recognized Tribe in the U.S., encompassing over 17 million acres and over 400,000 enrolled tribal members.

Dr. Nez Henderson was the first Indigenous woman to graduate from the Yale School of Medicine. She has been a member of multiple federal tobacco-related committees, including the inaugural FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which recommended the elimination of menthol cigarettes. She also served as the first Indigenous president of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

Ademuyiwa Bamidele Damilola
Nigeria

Ademuyiwa Bamidele Damilola is the Director of Programs at the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), a leading civil society organization in Nigeria that works to cultivate political commitments and actions toward achieving development goals. Damilola has spent his career focused on strengthening Nigeria’s health systems and enhancing the country’s ability to prepare for and respond effectively to health crises. He has led advocacy efforts for life-saving policies and increased funding and worked to fill critical gaps in Nigeria’s public health landscape at all levels.

Damilola played pivotal roles in advocating for the Public Health Emergency Bill, landmark legislation that has significantly impacted Nigeria’s health security architecture. With support from GHAI, Damilola helped secure increased funding for Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other key government bodies. These investments have strengthened the NCDC’s capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, ultimately protecting lives and building resilience within Nigeria’s health system.

One of Damilola’s most notable achievements is his work on the Health Security Financing Accountability Framework, a tool developed to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s health security spending. He redesigned the framework and developed an interactive dashboard for tracking not only budget allocations but also actual expenditures. This tool is being taken over and adopted by the Nigerian government as the official instrument for monitoring the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) financing, aligning with International Health Regulations (IHR) requirements.

Damilola’s dedication to public health stems from witnessing firsthand the struggles communities face during health crises, which continues to fuel his relentless drive for policies that can achieve lasting change. His work is transforming Nigeria's health security landscape and helping ensure that Nigerians have access to quality healthcare. Through his efforts, the country is better equipped to handle future public health challenges.

Manik Marganamahendra
Indonesia

Manik is a fearless tobacco control advocate and social activist from Bogor, Indonesia, whose unwavering dedication to social justice began in high school and deepened during his time at the University of Indonesia. While at the university, he championed and helped amplify the voices of marginalized communities.

Manik’s leadership in the tobacco control movement began nearly a decade ago as a member of the university’s school of public health, where he learned of the tobacco industry’s influence on national policies. He led protests and petitions that mobilized thousands of students to help defeat legislation that favored the tobacco industry and threatened to undo public health protections.

Now, Manik serves as Executive Director of the Indonesia Youth Council for Tactical Changes (IYCTC), an organization founded on the principle of meaningful youth participation that ensures young people play an active role in policymaking. IYCTC has been recognized by the Ministry of Health as a key partner in drafting guidelines banning tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship for digital media. He also led the mobilization of 55 youth organizations across 34 regions as part of a nationwide movement for a smoke-free Indonesia.

Manik and IYCTC brought youth voices to the fore in building government and public support for new policies in 2023 and 2024 that mandate smoke-free public places, pictorial warning labels, standardized packaging, and bans on single stick sales and point of sale advertising.

Through his leadership and advocacy, Manik continues to advance policies and empower young people to shape a healthier future for Indonesia. His leadership is critical in a country that is the second largest cigarette market and has some of the highest smoking rates in the world.