Vietnam's Dr Ha takes first prize for AI that makes healthcare fairer

In Da Nang this week, the applause was for a scientist whose work is about who gets cared for. Dr Ha Thi Thanh Huong of Vietnam won First Prize in the Mid-Career category of the 2026 ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women, awarded during the 90th ASEAN science ministers' meeting. This year's theme — artificial intelligence for inclusive and resilient healthcare — honoured women using AI to improve the quality and fairness of care and to strengthen how the region responds to health crises. The Senior prize went to Dr Joanne Ngeow of Singapore, with honourable mentions for researchers from Indonesia and Malaysia. The prize, running since 2014, rewards mentorship as well as research: the women it honours are expected to pull the next generation up behind them — and, by design, they do.

SDG 5 · Gender equality