IAVI Congratulates Dr. Alex Coutinho and Dr. Peter Piot, Winners of Japan’s Prestigious Africa Health Prize

IAVI welcomes news that the Government of Japan has awarded the 2013 Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize to two leaders of the global campaign to address the suffering caused by AIDS and end the HIV pandemic: Dr. Alex Coutinho, Executive Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda, and Dr. Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK. Dr. Coutinho is a current member of IAVI’s Board of Directors, and Dr. Piot previously served on the board. 

In his work at the Infectious Diseases Institute and, prior to that, at The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Uganda, Dr. Coutinho has been a driving force in combatting HIV in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. His efforts have helped ensure access to life-saving HIV services for tens of thousands of people across the region. His service and unwavering dedication to the cause of addressing the HIV pandemic have made him a role model for an entire generation of HIV service providers in Africa and around the world. Dr. Piot too has contributed enormously to combatting HIV and AIDS, both through his extensive research on HIV, as well as his leading advocacy in the fight against the pandemic as a former Executive Director of UNAIDS.
 
IAVI applauds the Japanese Government for its long-standing commitment to medical research and medicals services in Africa, and for recognizing through these awards the central role that HIV prevention and care have played in improving public health in the continent. 
 
The Hidyeo Noguchi Prize is the Government of Japan’s top award to honor individuals with outstanding achievements in medical research and medical services to combat diseases in Africa. The prizes will be formally awarded to Dr. Coutinho and Dr. Piot at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in June this year.