London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Receives 2009 Gates Award for Global Health

The Global Health Council has announced the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as the recipient of the 2009 Gates Award for Global Health.

Established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the $1 million prize recognizes organizations that have made outstanding contributions to improving global health, especially in resource-poor settings.

The London School — the first academic institution to win the annual prize and the first British winner — was chosen by a jury of international health leaders from a pool of roughly one hundred nominees for its efforts to build health systems and train health personnel in low-income and post-conflict countries while researching diseases that particularly affect disadvantaged people, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. According to London School director Sir Andrew Haines, the prize money will be used to develop new courses and provide scholarships for the school's distance learning program.

"For more than a century, the London School has trained the some of the world's most outstanding public health leaders," said Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation's global health program. "The school's commitment to leadership and cutting-edge research has made an immeasurable contribution to health in developing countries."

“London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Wins 2009 Annual Gates Award for Global Health.” Global Health Council Press Release 5/18/09.

Primary Subject: Health
Secondary Subject(s): Medical Research, International Affairs/Development
Location(s): England, London

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