On Wednesday, March 26, the Government of Japan announced that Drs. Miriam K. Were and Brian Greenwood were the winners of the inaugural Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. The prize was established in July 2006 in memory of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi and his many contributions to medical advancement and self-sacrificing activities in Africa.

 

Dr. Miriam Were, cofounder and health specialist at the UZIMA Foundation in Kenya, has been awarded the Noguchi Prize for Medical Services. Through her work with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and UZIMA Foundation, Dr. Were has strived to bring basic medical services and health rights to women and children in the villages of East Africa for over 40 years.

 

Dr. Brian Greenwood, Manson Professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the U.K., has been awarded the Noguchi Prize for Medical Research for his work on malaria. Dr. Greenwood's crucial contributions in malaria research greatly helped in the development of the tools and knowledge that are essential in turning the tide on the disease.

 

Mindful of the ominous human suffering persisting in Africa, the prize aims to honor individuals with outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of the African people and of all humankind.

 

The prize, which consists of a citation, medal and honorarium of 100 million yen, will be awarded every five years to coincide with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). The inaugural award will be presented at the award ceremony within TICAD IV scheduled in May 2008.

 

“I am immensely pleased that the Japanese Government is recognizing the importance of scientific research and medical services for the people of Africa," said Ms. Laurie Garrett, a member of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Selection Committee and Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

For more information about the prize and the winners, please see the press release here.