Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, will be awarded the prestigious “Key to Life” prize by the Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation in New York.

Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder of the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) campaign, is visiting New York at the invitation of the U.S.-based Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation (CCBF).

At the Foundation’s annual charity meeting on November 1, Leyla Aliyeva will be presented with the prestigious “Key to Life” award for her active participation in humanitarian projects for children.

The Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation (CCBF), since its establishment in 1952, has supported the treatment of chronic, life-threatening blood disorders in children through ongoing assistance in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology. It is one of the oldest and largest charitable organizations in the U.S. working in this area.

During her visit to New York, Leyla Aliyeva visited the Weill Cornell Medical Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, one of the leading institutions in the treatment of pediatric cancer and blood disorders, and familiarized herself with the services provided there. She met with young patients undergoing treatment at the Center, congratulated them on the traditional American Halloween holiday, and delivered gifts.

The Azerbaijani guest also spoke with the medical staff of the Center, showing particular interest in the treatment of patients with thalassemia and the care provided to them. She noted that, since one in every twelve people in Azerbaijan is a carrier of this genetic blood disorder, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation implements programs to prevent thalassemia, and a Thalassemia Center operates in Baku.

During her conversation with Patricia Giardini, Director of the Thalassemia Program at Weill Cornell Medical Center and a researcher renowned in this field, Leyla Aliyeva expressed her desire to organize a scientific symposium in Azerbaijan on genetic blood disorders and invited the scientist to participate in such an event and exchange ideas with local specialists.

Joint scientific research on thalassemia was also a central topic during her meeting at the research laboratory established at the Medical Center with the support of CCBF.

David Liden, Director of the Cellular Oncology Program, briefed the Azerbaijani guest on the results of the scientific studies conducted by the laboratory and emphasized that the new knowledge acquired in pediatric hematology-oncology in a short time has greatly advanced the treatment of these diseases. Leyla Aliyeva discussed with Liden the opportunities for Azerbaijani scientists to conduct joint research there in the future.

During her New York visit, Leyla Aliyeva held a number of other meetings. Among them, she met with Vince Meldrum, International Relations representative of the U.S. youth NGO “Earth Force,” which focuses on environmental awareness efforts, to discuss the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Earth Force and IDEA, and the organization of training courses in Azerbaijan for secondary school teachers on environmental protection. Leyla Aliyeva invited the Earth Force representatives to participate in the camp “The Role of Youth in Environmental Management: Today and Tomorrow,” to be held in Gabala from November 24–27 under the IDEA initiative.

Leyla Aliyeva also met with representatives of the “Ecouterre” project, which supports environmentally responsible production in the fashion and clothing industry, and exchanged views on concrete initiatives calling on the world’s youth to adopt a responsible approach to the global environment.