Historic election for SA epidemiologist Abdool Karim

IN AN achievement that cemented her status as a leading figure in global public health as well as put South Africa on the healthcare map, infectious diseases epidemiologist Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

- YASMINE JACOBS

In Abdool Karim’s career that spans three decades, she has contributed ground-breaking research in the field of HIV prevention.

Additionally, she played a vital role in shaping the global HIV prevention landscape, particularly for adolescent girls and young women - a demographic disproportionately affected by the disease.

As an Associate Scientific Director at the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in Durban, South Africa (CAPRISA), Abdool Karim will join an elite cadre of scientists that includes luminaries such as Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Albert Einstein.

Her induction into this esteemed institution, which has fostered scientific excellence since its establishment in 1660, is a source of immense pride not only for her but also for the African scientific community.