Gates Foundation Honours Africa CDC Director

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has named the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr John Nkengasong, as winner of the 2020 Global Goalkeeper Award.

The foundation also announced Hauwa Ojeifo from Nigeria as winner of the 2020 Changemaker Award for promoting gender equality.

Ojeifo is a sexual and domestic abuse survivor and the founder of She Writes Woman, a women-led movement giving the issue of mental health a voice in Nigeria.

In addition, the foundation named Bonita Sharma from Nepal as winner of the 2020 Progress Award, which celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative.

Sharma is the co-founder and CEO of Social Change makers and Innovators (SOCHAI), a youth-led nonprofit working to improve the nutritional health of nursing mothers and young children and to economically empower marginalised women through business opportunities.

‘Dr Nkengasong and his team at Africa CDC are deeply deserving of this award’, said Bill Gates.

‘Their commitment to securing the latest innovations from elsewhere in the world, as well as developing them themselves, will go a long way towards ensuring that the continent has the vaccines and medicines it needs to fight Covid-19’.

‘While the pandemic and the inequalities it highlights will undoubtedly define this era, the world is seeing the very best of humanity emerge’, Melinda Gates said.

‘We are inspired by the energy and drive of this year’s award winners to create a safer, healthier, and more equitable world’.

Source: Gates Foundation

Photo source: Business Insider Africa

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