Professor Brian Greenwood awarded first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Award

The Commemorative Lecture will take place between 10am and 12pm on 29 May (admission there is simultaneous English-Japanese translation available). Please register in advance. Details available from the Cabinet Office, Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Unit (see above).

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Hideyo Noguchi Prize

Who was Hideyo Nochuchi?

Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928) was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist. He became an assistant at the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory in 1899 and moved to the United States in 1900 to work with Professor Simon Flexner at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1904 he joined the Rockefeller Institute for medical Research. One of his most important achievements was the successful cultivation of pure syphilis Spirochaeta in 1911 which brought him to world prominence. He travelled extensively through Central and South America to research into vaccines for diseases such as yellow fever, Oroya fever, poliomyelitis and trachoma. He was struck down by yellow fever in Ghana and died in 1928.

The Japanese Government and global development issues

The Japanese government has taken a lead in tackling the big killer diseases that affect developing countries; it was they who proposed the idea for a Global Fund for Aids, TB and malaria during the G8 Summit in Okinawa.

Why was this award established?

The Japanese Government established the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in July 2006 to award individuals with outstanding achievements in the field of medical research and health services. The prize aims to encourage the fight against diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of people living in Africa and elsewhere.

How often will it be awarded?

The Prize will be awarded every five years to coincide with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

How much is the award worth?

The Award money, worth 100 million Yen or roughly US$1m for each of the two categories, will be funded primarily by the Government of Japan. A fund, to which the public will also be able to contribute, will be established to partially finance the award money.

Why is the award unique?

The Award is the first and only public global award of its kind. It is the first to be established by a government and its people in which excellence in research and service provision are recognised and rewarded equally within the same prize.

Sources: www.cao.go.jp/noguchisho/cv-e.html