Top 5 Moments at Clio Health 2026: Heartfelt Speeches, New UN Partnership, Knicks Watch Party

The evening brought together global leaders and inspiring advocates in health and wellness

The intersection of healthcare, creativity and advocacy has never been more powerful, as seen at the Clio Health Awards in New York City on Wednesday night.

The evening brought together global health leaders, agency innovators and inspiring advocates to celebrate the boundary-pushing campaigns changing lives and driving legislative change.

From a four-kilometer-long petition fighting for women’s safety in India to a surprise celebration for New York basketball fans, here are the top five moments that defined this year’s unforgettable ceremony held at Tribeca 360.

Klick Health’s Vedika Vohra delivers passionate acceptance speech for ‘Infinite Saree’

To protest the legality of marital rape in India, the Red Dot Foundation, in partnership with agency Klick Health, created the “Infinite Saree,” a 4-kilometer-long living petition that reimagines the protective, infinite saree of the mythological princess Draupadi.

Accompanied by her team from Klick Health, senior copywriter Vedika Vohra took the stage at the Clio Health Awards to accept the Grand Award, marking one of several honors received by the agency throughout the evening. She cited the story of one victim whose abuser walked free because marital rape is not a crime in India.

The following has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

“We couldn’t save her. But her story ignited this fire in us. A fire to help millions of women in India who get raped by their husbands every single night. That fire became ‘Infinite Saree,’ and now it’s on its way to the Supreme Court of India to change the law.

“Thank you so much, Clio Health, for giving Infinite Saree a global platform because our fight is not over yet. We’re yet to change the law and every voice counts. I’m really grateful to our brave clients at Red Dot Foundation for believing in us and trusting the idea, and our incredible designer, Nida Subbak, for creating the world’s longest saree.

And finally, to my team at Klick Health: Rich, Mike, Bernardo, Anna, Bailey, Laura, Marissa, Cheryl, Erin. I love you guys. We did this. We made it happen.

“And now, for the support from our industry that has recognized this initiative, we will keep going until we change the law. Thank you.”

United Nations and Clios unveil new partnership

Angus Ingham, the UN’s associate VP of global brand and campaigns, announced a new collaboration between the United Nations and the Clios. The partnership aims to mobilize international creatives to support the UN’s advocacy and communication objectives regarding global health.

To honor creative contributions that advance progress on global health issues, the partnership introduces the Global Impact Award. This honor is divided into two distinct classifications: Potential Impact and Proven Impact.

Additionally, the Clios and the UN will collaborate to develop a Global Health Creative Brief that challenges emerging creatives to address a global health issue identified by the organization through innovative marketing, advertising or communications ideas.

A commemoration of the DM that ignited change

After his NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended last February, offensive tackle Calvin Anderson received a message on Instagram from the United Nations Foundation. During a period of uncertainty regarding the future of U.S. life-saving assistance—funding critical to the elimination of malaria in 47 nations—the organization sought out the athlete due to his own experience surviving the life-threatening disease two years earlier. They invited him to share his journey to educate the public and drive global health initiatives.

Since then, Anderson has become a dedicated advocate for the UN’s “United to Beat Malaria” campaign. Through media appearances and meetings with Congress, Anderson’s dedication successfully helped protect vital U.S. humanitarian funding and save global health programs. Drawing parallels between Anderson’s professional career of “protecting others” on the field and his advocacy efforts, Chris Moore, the UN director of global health and advocacy, presented Anderson with the 2026 Honorary Clio Health Impact Award.

Nadya Okamoto furthers conversation on menstrual stigma

Nadya Okamoto opened her address at the ceremony with one simple question: “Is anyone on their period?”

The founder and former executive director of Period Inc. was in attendance to accept the Women’s Health Champion award, presented by Weber Shandwick. Okamoto shared her personal narrative regarding her journey into advocacy. Her commitment began at age 16 when she discovered that period poverty served as the primary global driver of absenteeism (a consistent pattern of unauthorized or unplanned absences from school or work).

During her address, Okamoto highlighted the systemic challenges within the U.S., specifically the “tampon tax.” This sales tax often categorizes essential menstrual products, such as tampons and pads, as “luxury goods” in comparison with wellness products like Rogaine and Viagra, which are frequently untaxed and considered medical necessities.

Despite a landscape of policy rollbacks over the last decade, Okamoto’s work has contributed to measurable progress. She noted that while 40 states enforced a tampon tax when she began her advocacy, that number has since decreased to 18.

Okamoto concluded her acceptance speech with an essential call to action: “The barrier for success for systemic change around menstruation and menstrual equity is the stigma. It’s on all of us to make small changes…open gender-inclusive conversations. Because at the end of the day, none of us would be here without menstruation.”

Unprecedented Knicks watch party

The Clio Health Awards weren’t the only major event happening in New York City on Wednesday night. While Game 4 of the NBA Finals took place between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at the iconic Madison Square Garden a short train ride away, the Clio team organized an impromptu watch party at Tribeca 360 following the awards ceremony. Knicks fans in attendance had the opportunity to witness the beginning of a suspenseful game that turned into a historic comeback, as the team erased a 29-point deficit to secure a 107-106 victory over the Spurs.

All Clio Health award winners can be found here.

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