Today (21th November 2013) at 14.00 hrs., Clinical Professor Udom Kachintorn, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, in the capacity of Vice President of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, Mr.Sek Wannamethee, Director-General of the Department of Information, in the capacity of the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Public Relations of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, and Professor Prasit Watanapa, Member of the International Award Committee of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, held a press conference to announce the 22st Prince Mahidol Award for the year 2013 at the Prince Mahidol Museum, 2nd Floor, Syamindra Building, Siriraj Hospital.
The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation of which H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the President, has decided to confer this year’s Prince Mahidol Award in the field of medicine to Professor David D. Ho and Dr.Anthony Fauci In the field of public health, the Prince Mahidol Award is conferred to Professor Peter Piot and Dr.Jim Young Kim
There are a total of 64 nominations from 28 countries. The Scientific Advisory Committee carefully screened all candidates from the year 2013, 2012, and 2011 and then submitted a short list of the candidates to the International Award Committee who scrutinized and made a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the meeting of the Board of Trustees on 6th November 2013 in which the final decision on the Prince Mahidol Award 2013 was made.
In the past 22 years, 64 individuals, groups of individuals, and institutions had received the Prince Mahidol Award. Among them, two subsequently received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, namely Professor Dr. Barry James Marshall and Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen. Two Thai had received the Prince Mahidol Award in 1996, they were Professor Prasong Tuchinda and Professor Suchitra Nimmannitya and two more in 2009: Dr.Wiwat Rojanapithayakorn and Mr.Mechai Viravaidya.
The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation under the Royal Patronage was established in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, on January 1, 1992. The Foundation is under the Royal Patronage, with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as president. The Foundation annually confers two Prince Mahidol Awards upon individual(s) or institution(s), which have demonstrated outstanding and exemplary contributions to the advancement of the world’s medical and public health services. Each Award consists of a medal, a certificate and a sum of US $100,000.
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand have graciously designated Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to preside over the Presentation Ceremony of the Prince Mahidol Award 2013 at the Chakri Throne hall on January 28, 2014 at 17.30 hours. Prior to the Ceremony, Siriraj Hospital, as a founder of the Prince Mahidol Award, will invite the 2013 Prince Mahidol Award Laureates to give lectures based on their achievement on January 27, 2014.
The Prince Mahidol Award Laureates 2013
In the field of Medicine: Professor Dr. David D. Ho Director and CEO of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center,
New York, the United States of America
Dr. David D. Ho is a leader in HIV/AIDS research who pioneered the highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) treatment for HIV-infected patients. His work is based on the study of the dynamics of HIV replication which was active even during the asymptomatic phase, leading to better understanding of the mechanisms of HIV infection and a new method of applying HAART treatment at an early stage of infection by applying the maximum level of viral suppression to effectively control viral replication.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),National Institute of Health, the United States of America
Dr. Anthony Fauci has made influential contributions to the understanding of how HIV destroys the body’s defenses, leading to the progression to AIDS. His discovery demonstrating that HIV replicates extensively in lymph nodes during the early asymptomatic phase and continuously destroys CD4+ T lymphocytes, which leads to the deterioration of the immune system. Dr. Fauci shows that early treatment by using highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) will effectively control HIV replication, demonstrated by the reduction of the HIV viral load and number of CD4+ T lymphocytes.
The approach taken by Professor David D. Ho and Dr. Anthony Fauci has been widely embraced and set a new standard for HIV/AIDS patient treatment – changing AIDS from a lethal, untreatable disease to a chronic one, and saving millions of lives throughout the world.
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The Prince Mahidol Award Laureates 2013 In the field of Public Health :
Prof. Peter Piot Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the United Kingdom and Former Executive Director of UNAIDS Kingdom of Belgium
Prof. Peter Piot began his study on HIV/AIDS epidemiology in 1980 while working on Project SIDA, the first AIDS research project in Africa. He then joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Program on AIDS in 1992 and later served as the first Executive Director of UNAIDS between 1994 – 2008. He has played a major role in raising global HIV/AIDS awareness and promoted the inclusion of HIV/AIDS prevention in national development agendas among politicians, businessmen, scientists, and spiritual leaders. He has been instrumental in the rise of the global anti-AIDS movement, championed HIV prevention and lower prices for Anti-Retroviral Therapy, as well as greater access to medication for patients in less developed countries.
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Dr. Jim Yong Kim Former Director of the WHO’s HIV/AIDS Department United States of America
Dr. Jim Yong Kim was the leader to promote universal access to anti-retrovirals while serving as Director of the WHO’s HIV/AIDS Department. After launching the “3 by 5 initiative” to support HIV/AIDS patients in low- and middle-income countries receiving Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), he managed to help 3 million patients to receive this therapy in 2007 by coordinating with UNAIDS, governments and agencies concerned to arrange funding, training courses and capacity building programs for the treatment, reducing the cost of HAART therapies, and enhancing treatment, prevention, and care for HIV/AIDS patients.
The earnest efforts of Prof. Peter Piot, during his tenure as Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, during his leadership as Director of WHO’s HIV/AIDS Department, have made HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention a global agenda, enabling faster, more comprehensive treatment that has saved millions of lives and benefited people’s health throughout the world.
