Salim Abdool Karim and Anthony Fauci Jointly Awarded John Maddox Prize 2020

Salim S. Abdool Karim, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health epidemiologist and director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, were jointly awarded the John Maddox Prize 2020 in recognition of their exemplary work as government advisors on health and communicating the complex and changing science of COVID-19 to the public and policymakers, in the midst of international uncertainty and anxiety.

Now in its ninth year, the John Maddox Prize, a joint initiative of the charity Sense about Science and the scientific journal Nature, is awarded to one or two people a year. Prize administrators received over 100 nominations from 34 different countries. Sir John Maddox (1925-2009) was editor of Nature from 1966 to 1973, and from 1980 until 1995, and was a founding trustee of Sense about Science The winners were announced at a virtual reception on December 14. (Watch the award ceremony.)

“I am deeply honored to receive the 2020 John Maddox Prize for Standing up for Science, jointly with my colleague Dr. Anthony Fauci,” said Abdool Karim. “Providing scientific advice on COVID-19 in the midst of uncertainty and anxiety proved to be a difficult task, made more challenging by conspiracy theories. But, I found that the task was made easier by staying true to the available scientific evidence without bending to ideology or vested interests. Serving the nation by promoting science, evidence and public discussion during two pandemics—AIDS and Covid-19—over the last 30 or so years has been a privilege for me.”

In South Africa, Abdool Karim has a reputation for clear and honest communication, something that has allowed him to generate public trust in fast-moving science. Respected for his international science advocacy, engaging with the media and the public has become integral to his role as a scientist. In April 2020, Abdool Karim appeared in over 500 print, broadcast and online media items, as a trusted source of scientific information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The achievements of Karim and Fauci call back to their work tackling AIDS. Over 30 years ago, Fauci oversaw much of the U.S. medical response to the AIDS crisis; in the early 2000s Karim was one of the scientists who spoke out against AIDS denialism.