2021 Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges awarded to Dr. John N. Nkengasong for vital contribution to Africa's response to COVID-19

- Prestigious annual award and $100,000 prize is given to outstanding researchers developing global solutions for society's greatest challenges

- Dr. Nkengasong is named as 2021 Prize Laureate, in recognition of his work leading an effective and evidence-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa

- Previous winners have included Nobel Prize winners and leading academics addressing global issues including poverty and access to vital resources, sustainable development, and global access to vaccines: https://www.bmiglobalsolutions.org/the-bmi-prize 

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2021 Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges – the academic award for global solutions addressing society's greatest challenges – has been awarded to Dr. John N. Nkengasong.

As 2021 Prize Laureate, Dr. Nkengasong has been recognized for his vital contribution to developing an effective and evidence-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa.

Prize to be awarded at a virtual ceremony, hosted by the Boris Mints Institute

Dr. Nkengasong will formally receive the 2021 Award in a virtual ceremony live from the Boris Mints Institute at Tel Aviv University on Sunday October 17 (9am Eastern Time, 2pm British Summer Time, 4pm Israel Daylight Time).

At the virtual ceremony, leading academics in public health and development will pay tribute to Dr. Nkengasong's work developing practical and applicable solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Nkengasong will present on the current prevalence of COVID-19 in Africa and the urgent need to increase access to vaccines and diagnostics.

Registration to attend the 2021 Prize Ceremony is open now at: https://www.bmiglobalsolutions.org/registration.

Recognition of a vital contribution to the fight against COVID-19

As Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Nkengasong has been a leading scientific voice in Africa's fight against COVID-19.

He successfully convened an emergency meeting of all 55 Ministers of Health of the African Union, creating a vital forum for leaders across the continent to cooperate, collaborate, coordinate and communicate, leading to the adoption of a Joint Continental Strategy for the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Dr. Nkengasong also led the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT), under the auspices of the African Union and the Africa CDC, accelerating testing capacity and enabling more than 90 million COVID-19 tests. Under his leadership, the Africa CDC established the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative and, in partnership with the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa, established a network for SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance to identify COVID-19 variants circulating in Africa.

In a public health career spanning over 30 years, Dr. Nkengasong has published over 250 peer reviewed articles and has received acclaimed international awards and recognitions, including ground-breaking research into HIV and its characteristics in Africa.

The Prize Laureate is a powerful exponent of a sustainable, long-term public health vision for Africa, built on increased access to vital medications, vaccines, and diagnostics.

About the Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges

The Boris Mints Institute was founded in 2015 by Dr. Boris Mints, the businessman and philanthropist who sits on Tel Aviv University's Board of Governors. Based at The Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences in Tel Aviv University, the Institute exists to encourage research, planning and innovative thinking to promote significant positive change in the world.

Subsequently, the Boris Mints Institute Prize was launched in 2017 to reward and recognize an exceptional individual who has devoted his or her research to solving a strategic global challenge, and whose public action and ideas have contributed to the welfare of a significant number of communities worldwide.

Speaking ahead of the Award ceremony, Dr. Nkengasong said, "I am truly honored to have been selected as 2021 Prize Laureate of the Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges. The spread of the COVID-19 virus remains a profound and international public health emergency, and the Institute's recognition highlights the vital importance of a unified global approach to the pandemic, not least the acceleration of vaccination programmes globally."

Dr. Boris Mints, Founder and President of the Boris Mints Institute, added, "Dr. Nkengasong's strategic leadership has informed a co-ordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa. This vital contribution has saved, and will continue to save, thousands of lives. It is a privilege to award Dr. Nkengasong the 2021 Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges, in recognition of a remarkable career dedicated to evidence-based public health initiatives and his tireless efforts to enable greater access to vaccinations and diagnostics across the African continent."

About Boris Mints Institute

The Boris Mints Institute was founded, in 2015, at Tel Aviv University with the intention to encourage research, planning and innovative thinking in order to promote a significant positive change in the world. The Institute is focusing on designing strategic innovative plans to enhance the welfare of communities around the globe and supports highly applied, practical and solutions-driven research, which is conducted by bright M.A and PhD students under the supervision of internationally renowned senior scientists.

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SOURCE Boris Mints Institute