Mabuza lauds SA scientist for grabbing top prize
Deputy President David Mabuza says South Africa has once again shown that it is capable of providing solutions to an of the world’s challenges.
Mabuza on Friday congratulated Quarraisha Abdool Karim for winning the R10 million Christophe Merieux Prize for her work for the Durban-based Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), which she heads.
The HIV researcher who found that a topical gel could stop many women catching the virus has been awarded one of France's top science prizes.
Mabuza congratulated Abdool Karim in his capacity as chair of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC).
Mabuza says South Africa remains endowed with brilliant individuals.
“We are also delighted by the fact that Professor Abdool Karim is also hailed for her sterling work in the production of vaccines for people infected by HIV and how to treat people with tuberculosis, as those are people who are immunocompromised and severely exposed to Covid-19 which affects our country and indeed the whole world.”
The award was due to be presented in Paris next week, but the ceremony has been cancelled due to coronavirus.