Global Recognition
विश्वव्यापी मान्यता

 In 1977, Dr. Ashok Banskota took the path less traveled after his orthopedic residency and Board Certification in the United States – he brought his skills and knowledge back to Nepal.  As he single-mindedly tackled the obstacles of working in primitive and poorly equipped hospitals, the idea that he could be a change-maker took hold and grew.

What Dr. Banskota created, along with his dedicated team, is a model of care delivery that reaches and treats the most marginalized children throughout Nepal. In a country with rugged terrain and endemic poverty, this feat is nothing short of miraculous. In recognition of these remarkable accomplishments, and for developing a blueprint for medical care delivery in a low-resource country, Dr. Banskota and HRDC have received the following global awards:

 Awards

World of Children

World of Children logo

In 2011, Dr. Ashok Banskota was honored with the World of Children Health Award, an international honor widely regarded as the "Nobel Prize for Child Advocacy." This distinguished award recognized Dr. Banskota’s visionary leadership in founding the Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC) in Nepal, where he turned a personal mission into a global gold standard for pediatric orthopedic care.

The 2011 Recognition: Restoring Mobility and Hope

The World of Children Award is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary, sustainable impact. Dr. Banskota was selected for his commitment to treating impoverished children who were suffering from treatable physical disabilities.

  • The 2011 award provided funding for clubfoot treatment for 130 children, which if left unaddressed, would lead to a lifetime of social ostracism.  

  • Beyond the operating table and treatments provided, the award praised Dr. Banskota’s focus on social reintegration, ensuring that every child who regained the ability to walk also gained the opportunity to attend school and participate in their community.

Dr Banskota greeting a well-wisher

The Legacy Continues: 2016 and 2025 Honors

While the initial 2011 Health Award recognized Dr. Banskota’s medical vision, his subsequent honors from World of Children highlight his rare ability to sustain and scale a humanitarian organization over decades.

2016 World of Children Alumni Award

The Alumni Award is a specialized honor reserved for past recipients who have demonstrated exceptional growth and fiscal responsibility since their initial grant.

  • By 2016, Dr. Banskota’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) had grown substantially, reaching more than 22,000 children every year and conducting mobile clinics in the most remote, mountainous regions of Nepal.

  • This award provided additional funding to enhance the HRDC’s prosthetic and orthotic facilities, ensuring that children received not just surgery, but the lifelong physical therapy and equipment needed to remain mobile.

2025 World of Children Hero Award

In a milestone announcement for 2025, Dr. Banskota was named a World of Children Hero. This is the highest tier of recognition offered by the organization, reserved for a small circle of "Changemakers" whose work has achieved profound, systemic change on a global scale.

  • A Lifetime of Service: The Hero Award honors Dr. Banskota for a career spanning over 40 years, during which he has rehabilitated more than 125,000 children.

  • Systemic Influence: The 2025 honor acknowledges that Dr. Banskota’s model is no longer just a hospital—it is a blueprint for how to provide world-class medical care in developing nations. His work has influenced national healthcare policy in Nepal and serves as an inspiration for pediatric orthopedic programs worldwide.

2014 Stars Impact Award

Dr Banskota receives the award from President Bill Clinton

In a landmark ceremony at Kensington Palace, London, President Bill Clinton presented the 2014 Stars Impact Award for Health (Asia-Pacific) to Professor Dr. Ashok Banskota. This prestigious honor, founded by HE Amr Al-Dabbagh, recognized Dr. Banskota’s three decades of visionary leadership at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC) in Nepal.

The award celebrated HRDC’s pioneering "community-based" approach, which has bridged the gap between advanced orthopedic surgery and the most remote, impoverished villages in Nepal. By transforming the lives of children who would otherwise face severe social exclusion, Dr. Banskota’s work embodies the Stars Foundation’s mission: scaling excellence to deliver profound, measurable impact for the world’s most vulnerable populations

Dr Banskota with his TKS Gold Medal

2022 TKS Gold Medal

In September 2022, the global orthopedic community gathered in Malaysia for the 42nd SICOT (International Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology) World Congress. During this global event, Professor Dr. Ashok Banskota was honored with the TKS Gold Medal, awarded to a surgeon whose life’s work has fundamentally advanced orthopedic care in low-resource environments.

Named after the legendary Prof. TK Shanmugasunderam, this medal is reserved for surgeons whose work has fundamentally elevated the "science and art" of orthopedics in underserved regions. Dr. Banskota joins an elite group of international surgeons recognized for their commitment to bringing high-quality care to those who need it most.