Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Commissioner with the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD), has been awarded the Virchow Prize 2025 for Global Health, alongside Professor Zulfiqar A. Bhutta. The Prize recognizes their pioneering contributions to advancing maternal, newborn, and child health through evidence-based and community-centred approaches which have improved outcomes for vulnerable populations worldwide.

Professor Abdool Karim’s leadership in HIV prevention among young women provided the first proof that antiretroviral drugs could prevent infection, transforming global understanding of prevention and shaping effective public health strategies.

Her recognition underscores the importance of policies grounded in science and public health, principles that also guide the Global Commission’s work in promoting health, equity, and human development through pragmatic, evidence-informed approaches to drug policy reform.