A group of infectious disease experts combating the spread of tuberculosis in Vietnam has been recognised for their extensive research and advocacy, which has spanned over the course of a decade. The 2022 Ho Chi Minh Scientific Prize was presented to the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program, a team of 23 researchers that includes AIGHD director, Prof. Frank Cobelens and recent PhD graduate, Dr. Hai Viet Nguyen. This is the first time the prestigious Ho Chi Minh prize has been awarded to a research team with international researchers.
Frank Cobelens: “This award is an important recognition of what, to me, has become a model of successful collaboration between a national public health program and international research groups. It has shown how research can directly benefit tuberculosis control in Vietnam while at the same time yield key insights to inform the fight against this major infectious disease at the global level. This collaboration has also become a model of research capacity building within national disease control programs. I am honored to be part of the collective that received this prize.”