Anthony Fauci wins $1 million Israeli prize for 'defending science' & advocating vaccines

Israel on Monday honoured the US’ top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci with a $1 million Israeli cash prize for “defending science” and for advocating the COVID-19 vaccines to the world. Making an announcement on Twitter, Israel’s Dan David Foundation congratulated Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, labelling him ‘a global leader’ and a ‘public health hero’ for his scientific research and contribution to humanity amid the global health emergency. The foundation acknowledged Fauci’s leadership on HIV research and AIDS relief, in addition to his efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, cited by AP, Dan David foundation hailed Fauci’s approach for "courageously defending science in the face of uninformed opposition during the challenging COVID crisis.” 

Spread 'public health measures awareness'

Acknowledging the 80-year-old director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who was constantly undermined by the Trump administration, the Israeli foundation said: ‘As the COVID-19 pandemic unravelled, Fauci leveraged his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by fear and anxiety, and worked relentlessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about the public health measures essential for containing the pandemic’s spread.’ It further hailed the scientific expert for “speaking truth to power in a highly charged political environment.”

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“This year’s laureates “have probed how humanity has dealt with sickness and pandemics throughout history,” Foundation Director Ariel David said, in an AP report.

Those declared winner provided “relief, guidance and leadership in dealing with current outbreaks and they are at the forefront of discovering new treatments that give us hope for the future in the ongoing battle against cancer and other diseases,” he added. 

Of the three categories that the Israeli foundation gives away awards in the field of science, Fauci secured one dubbed as ‘Present’ in the category of public health, Dan David informed. The ‘future’ was won by anti-cancer immunotherapy, professors Zelig Eshhar, Dr Carl June, and Dr Steven Rosenberg, and the ‘Past’ category was secured by Professors Alison Bashford, Katharine Park, and Keith Wailoo for medicinal research. The foundation, based at Tel Aviv University, also dedicated prizes and scholarships for humanities and social sciences. 

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