Among several specific achievements mentioned in the Award's citation were that "Dr. Azurin personally initiated and promoted a series of innovative mesures to make primary health care a reality in the Philippines", that he "reorganized the Ministry of Health in order to decentralize its activities" and "vigorously supported... community projects to bring essential drugs within the reach of the population at an affordable cost", and that he pioneered in the effort that "led to the establishment of a research institute for tropical medicine in Manila, as a support to the Ministry's programme to control communicable diseases".

He was a signatory to the historic document – signed in Geneva on December 9, 1979 [4] – declaring smallpox to have been eradicated as a devastating disease of mankind.

He joined the Philippine Army, serving as medical officer with the 1st Battalion, 1st Regular Infantry Division of the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) [7][8] and saw action on Bataan.

When Bataan fell to the Japanese in April 1942, he became one of the prisoners of war who suffered through the brutal Death March and he was incarcerated at the infamous Capas Concentration Camp in Tarlac province.

[9][10] On his release from the Capas Camp in 1943, he joined the Filipino guerrilla movement in northern Luzon and served as Regimental Surgeon of the 11th Infantry, USAFIP-NL.

Among his numerous citations are the ‘Order of the Bifurcated Needle’ given by the WHO in 1976 and the ‘Most Distinguished Alumnus Award’ given by the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine in 1972.

While a member of the Filipino guerrilla forces during World War II, then 1st Lt. Azurin met Frances Edna C. Battung in a church in Aparri, Cagayan (on the northern tip of Luzon island) and married her on November 29, 1944.

Azurin, Jesus C., et al, “A Controlled Field Trial of the Effectiveness of Cholera El Tor Vaccine” – World Health Organization Bulletin, Vol.

Azurin, Jesus C., et al., “A Controlled Field Trial of the Effectiveness of Monovalent Classical and El Tor Cholera Vaccines in the Philippines” – World Health Organization Bulletin, Vol.

Azurin, Jesus C., et al., “Field Evaluation of Environmental Sanitation Measures Against Cholera” – World Health Organization Bulletin, Vol.

Azurin, Jesus C., “Rodent Control Measures Along the Manila Bay Area”, Philippine Public Health Journal.