Two of South Africa's top
AIDS researchers ¡V Professors Salim and Quarraisha
Abdool Karim ¡V received a Lifetime Achievement Award for
Public Service from the Institute for Human Virology (IHV)
in America for their awesome contributions to the global
AIDS response. The institute recently hosted
its 19th Annual International Meeting of Top Medical
Virus Researchers in Maryland, United States of America.
The two infectious disease epidemiologists, who are
married, were honoured with the prominent award during a
gala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, surrounded
by hundreds of elite scientists from around the world.
IHV's Director, Dr Robert Gallo, said: "To me, both of
these renowned individuals have made some of the
greatest contributions in the history of HIV/AIDS in
public health and epidemiology relevant to prevention
and care of infected people.
"I don't know any person or persons who have done more
to advance the proper care of people with HIV infection
or the prevention of HIV infection among a population."
Quarraisha Abdool Karim is Associate Scientific Director
of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in
South Africa (Caprisa) and her husband Salim is
Director. Both are Professors of Epidemiology at
Columbia University in New York, and honorary academics
at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Born in Tongaat in
1960, Quarraish has won several international awards.
They said they were "deeply appreciative" of the
recognition and accepted the award on behalf also of the
thousands of South African participants in their
research. The couple, who are parents, are mainly
focused on preventing HIV in women in Africa. One of
their landmark studies ¡V in 2010 ¡V involved
demonstrating that antiretrovirals can prevent sexual
transmission of HIV. Their research has also shown a
world first ¡V that the same tenofovir gel can prevent
genital herpes.
The two inspiring researchers are featured in the
Academy of Science SA's new book "Legends of South
African Science". ¡V Source:
BusinessWire/
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