Moriba Karamoko Recognized for His Achievements as a Leading Health Care Advocate in Louisiana

Karamoko Receives the Families USA Consumer Health Advocate of the Year Award

Washington, D.C.—Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers, today is presenting Moriba Karamoko with the Consumer Health Advocate of the Year Award at its annual Health Action conference.

The award, presented every year since 1998, recognizes outstanding contributions on behalf of our nation’s health care consumers. The award is being presented to Karamoko for his achievements in creating the Louisiana Consumer Healthcare Coalition, a grassroots consumer advocacy organization, and fighting for the rights of health care consumers.

“Moriba Karamoko’s work in Louisiana represents the best of what we at Families USA try to accomplish on the national level,” said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA. “He has built a consumer organization from scratch, has built a working relationship with state officials, and is a knowledgeable and powerful voice for health care consumers in Louisiana.

“We are pleased to present this award in 2012 to Moriba Karamoko.”

Director of the Louisiana Consumer Healthcare Coalition, Karamoko is also a trainer, organizational consultant, and program manager with more than 20 years' experience in the areas of strategic planning; volunteer, staff and leadership development; program development; and community organizing.

Prior to his current work with the coalition, Karamoko served as Lafayette Regional Coordinator for the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living. In this capacity, he coordinated development and implementation of regional tobacco control activities.

These activities helped secure passage of the Lafayette Parish clean indoor air policy, facilitated implementation of the tobacco-free schools policy, engaged youth as peer educators on the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke, and provided grants management and technical assistance to grantees.

Moriba Karamoko earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in political science from Clark-Atlanta University.

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org