Professor Brian Greenwood awarded first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Award

Professor Greenwood comments: ‘I am very honoured to have received this prize from the Japanese Government which honours the contribution of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi to tropical medicine. This award recognises not just my contribution but that of the many colleagues from Africa and elsewhere in the world with whom I have been fortunate to work in Africa for over 40 years. I am exploring ways in which this generous award can be used most effectively to support young African scientists in the fight against the major infectious diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and meningitis which still kill over two million African children every year’.

Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba, Vice-Chancellor & Principal of Kawzulu Natal University, and Chair of the Medical Services Selection Sub-Committee, summarized the importance of the Hideyo Noguchi Prize thus: ‘In combining research and service excellence with strong human values of dignity, the prize has opened a new approach . . . With a reward value of 1m USD for each of the two categories, the Noguchi Africa Prize already rivals any of the major established scientific awards making it highly competitive and sought after. The Prize has excited and captured the imagination of the world, particularly the scientific community. It represents a new hope for a world yearning for human rights, human dignity, equality and transparency’.

The TICAD conference, which has run for 15 years, was launched to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners and to provide fundamental and comprehensive policy and guideline on African development.

There will be a press conference of the laureates on 28 May from 2.55 pm at Nagahama Park in Yokohama. The organisers will provide a press coach to transport journalists to the afternoon event (which will run from 2.05-3.30 pm including the press conference.

For further information, or to interview Professor Brian Greenwood, please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Press Office on +44 (0) 207 927 2802/2073 or email or the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Unit (Cabinet Office) on 03 3581 5431 or go to http://www.cao.go.jp/noguchisho/

If you are a member of the press and wish to attend the conference please go to http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/africa/ticad/ticad4/press.html both for more detais, and in order to gain accreditation.