Japan / Africa Prize /Announcement of the inaugural laureates of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize

Announcement of the inaugural laureates of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: Good afternoon. Thank you very much for coming.

I have four announcements to start off with.

The first is on the inaugural laureates of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. Japan established the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in July 2006 to award individuals with outstanding achievements in the field of medical research and medical services in and for Africa. And, the very first prize goes to Dr. Brian Greenwood and Dr. Miriam K. Were.

Dr. Brian Greenwood, a professor of clinical tropical medicine of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is the recipient of the Prize for medical research for his bold and innovative work on malaria. At a time when malaria was spreading uncontrollably across the African continent claiming more than 1 million lives a year, Dr. Greenwood contributed to creating and designing effective strategies to control malaria.

Dr. Miriam K. Were, on the other hand, is a co-founder of the UZIMA Foundation. Uzima is the Kiswahili word for “abundant life” or “good quality life.” The foundation is a charitable trust registered in Kenya. She is the recipient of the Prize for medical services for her efforts to bring basic medical services and health care to women and children in the villages of East Africa, which have been a beacon of hope for millions of people in Africa and the world.

The first award ceremony is planned to coincide with the TICAD IV or the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama in May, later this year. The Prize consists of a citation, a medal, and an honorarium of 100 million yen or about US$1 million. The Prize will be awarded every five years after this.