Too often the sacrifices of people working in global public health go unrecognized, but not in this case. WHO welcomes the announcement that the Government of Japan is awarding the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for service to global public health.

The two recipients of the prize are Brian Greenwood, Professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and distinguished innovator in malaria research; and Miriam K. Were, an AIDS specialist performing ground-breaking community-based work in East Africa.

"Awards such as these honour excellence and dedication," said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. "But they also draw attention to the importance…