The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) has received 108 nominations from over 36 countries for the $1-million Health category of the 2018 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development, which closed for entries at the end of June.
The annual Al-Sumait prize is awarded for significant advances in development in the categories of health, food security and education for Africa.
“This is the largest number of nominations we have received since the inaugural award in 2015,” says Dr Mustafa Marafi, head of the KFAS Prizes Office. “With nominations for 60 World Health Organization affiliated organisations and almost 50 individuals, from around the world, all dedicated to improving health across Africa this is a very encouraging development which provides a great opportunity to promote pioneering health development scientific, medical and social ideas to life in Africa.”
The Al-Sumait board of trustees at their planned meeting in November will confirm the winner proposed by the selection committee for the prize. The board comprises prominent international personalities in the field of development in Africa and world-renowned philanthropists. IT is chaired by Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait.
Other trustees include Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Makhtar Diop, World Bank’s vice-president for Africa, Kwaku Aning, deputy director-general and head of department at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tareq Al-Mutawa director-general and chairman of the board of Sadeer, and Abdulatif Al-Hamad, director-general and chairman of the board of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.