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Well-deserved top science award presented

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By the National Science Technology Forum (NSTF)

Prof Shabir Madhi received the prestigious 2022 NSTF-South32 Lifetime Award for his leadership in research on vaccines against life-threatening diseases in Africa and globally, and he has been at the cutting edge of research in this area since 1997.

Prof Madhi is the dean: faculty of health sciences; and professor: vaccinology, University of the Witswatersrand (Wits); and director: South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA); and co-director: african leadership in vaccinology expertise, Wits.

Professor Shabir Madhi. Image credit: Wits University
Professor Shabir Madhi. Image credit: Wits University

The NSTF announced the 15 winners of the 2021/2022 NSTF-South32 Awards for excellence in science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation in South Africa. The Gala Event of the prestigious awards took place at the end of July 2022. The awards are known as the ‘Science Oscars of South Africa’ and were celebrated for the 24th time.

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Prof Madhi says: “Using our experience from the past 27 years, we transitioned to undertaking the first COVID-19 studies on the African continent including the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is currently the most widely-used vaccine against COVID-19. We did the studies around this vaccine and the Novavax vaccine and it gave us the insights we needed to recalibrate our expectations around COVID-19 vaccines. Over the past 18 months, we’ve uncovered that the virus has developed antibody evasiveness and none of the vaccines provide sustainable protection against mild to moderate COVID-19 as a result.”

The pandemic impacted the world in several ways. It moved work, teaching and learning into virtual spaces, while worsening the digital divide. Lockdowns reduced crime and road accident statistics while leading to an alarming prevalence of gender-based violence and mental health challenges. It caused devastation of economies and livelihoods, and large numbers of deaths. The success stories that define the award winners, such as for Prof Madhi, stand out for many reasons, among others: how science can play a significant role in saving lives, driving sustainable development, improving quality of life, and connecting people and communities.

The NSTF is a civil society forum promoting science, engineering and technology and innovation in South Africa. Prof Madhi has made himself available to share his knowledge and experience, and to inspire young people to pursue STEM careers, and make scientific research and science more understandable to the general public.

To engage on this, please contact the NSTF directly or by visiting their website for more information.

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