London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The Director of the School, Professor Peter Piot was awarded the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for Medical Research, from the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, on 1 June - the opening day of the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V).

The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize honours outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa.

Professor Piot co-discovered the Ebola virus and was a pioneer in understanding the AIDS epidemic in Africa. He has published over 500 scientific papers and articles, and 16 books, including his memoirs published last year, No Time To Lose: a life in pursuit of deadly viruses.

In a ceremony attended by the Emperor of Japan, he was honoured for his pivotal research on diseases endemic in Africa. He thanked the Japanese government for the award and interest in the healthcare in African countries, and he said he would use prize money to provide opportunities to health workers for training in London and Japan.

He also called for further investment in higher education, research and innovation in Africa.