Salim Abdool Karim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salim Abdool Karim
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| Born | 29 July 1960 South Africa
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| Nationality | South African |
| Alma mater | University of Natal Columbia University Colleges of Medicine of South Africa University of South Africa |
| Known for | Scientific and leadership contributions in AIDS and Covid-19 |
| Spouse(s) | Quarraisha Abdool Karim |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | 2023: Honorary Doctorate of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology 2022: 4th Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, Government of Japan VinFuture Special Prize, VinFuture Foundation, Vietnam 2021: UNISA Chancellor’s Calabash Award, University of South Africa Honorary Doctorate: DSc (honoris causa), Rhodes University CPHIA 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Public Health Award, African Union (AU) and Africa CDC 2020: John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, Gairdner Foundation John Maddox Prize for Standing up for Science, Sense about Science and Nature 500 years of the Straits of Magellan Award, Government of Chile The Sunday Times Top 100 Honorary Award for contributions to the South African Covid-19 response 2018: Al-Sumait Prize for the Advancement of Science, Amir of Kuwait and the Kuwait Foundation 2017: Lifetime Achievement Award, Institute of Human Virology 2015: African Union’s Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award Platinum Lifetime Achievement Award, Medical Research Council 2014: Honorary doctorate - DSc (Medicine) (honoris causa), University of Cape Town US Science and Technology Pioneers Prize (to the CAPRISA 004 trial team), the US Agency for International Development 2013: John F. W. Herschel Medal, Royal Society of South Africa 2011: Science for Society Gold Medal Award, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Olusegun Obasanjo Prize, African Academy of Sciences 2009: TWAS Prize, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Infectious Diseases |
| Institutions | Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) CAPRISA Professor of Global Health, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York. |
Salim S. Abdool Karim is a famous South African doctor and scientist. He is an expert in public health, which means he helps keep communities healthy. He also studies diseases like AIDS and COVID-19. Dr. Karim has done amazing work in preventing and treating HIV, which has saved many lives.
Contents
Dr. Karim's Career
Dr. Karim is a professor at two universities. He teaches at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He also teaches at Columbia University in the United States.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Karim was chosen to lead a special committee. This group of 45 medical experts helped guide the South African government. They gave advice on how to respond to the pandemic.
Early Life and Education
Salim Abdool Karim was born in Durban, South Africa, in 1960. His family was of Indian heritage. He went to primary school in Durban city center.
Later, his family was forced to move to Chatsworth. This happened because of apartheid, a system that separated people by race.
University Studies
After high school, he wanted to study engineering. But he could only get a scholarship for medicine. So, he went to the University of Natal medical school. He also studied computer science and statistics by mail.
While in medical school, he did his first research project. He worked with a doctor named Professor Jerry Coovadia. His research showed how apartheid caused unfair health differences.
Medical Training
In 1984, Dr. Karim finished his first year of medical training. He then joined the Department of Virology at the University of Natal in 1986. Here, he started his research on Hepatitis B virus.
He later earned an honorary award in Virology. This was for his important work in studying viruses.
Further Studies and Marriage
In 1987, he went to New York to study for a master's degree. He focused on epidemiology, which is the study of how diseases spread. He studied at Columbia University.
In 1988, he returned to South Africa to marry Quarraisha Abdool Karim. She is also a scientist who studies tiny living things. They began working together on research in 1989. Their first study looked at HIV in communities in Africa.
He also studied health economics in London. He learned about how to investigate epidemics at the CDC in the USA. He came back to South Africa to help fight the growing HIV epidemic.
In 1992, he started training in public health. He earned a special degree in Public Health Medicine. He also got a master's degree in Community Health. In 1999, he earned his PhD in medicine. His PhD research was about Hepatitis B virus in South Africa.
Research Career
In 1985, Dr. Karim spent a year doing research at the SAMRC. In 1992, he joined SAMRC as a senior scientist. He became the Director of the MRC's Centre for Epidemiological Research in South Africa (CERSA) in 1993.
He made CERSA the biggest medical research group in South Africa. It became a leader in public health around the world. In 2001, he became a leader at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He helped create a new research plan for the university. This plan focused on African research.
Creating Research Centers
Dr. Abdool Karim is known for starting new research centers in South Africa. He helped create five successful centers. These centers built research tools and trained many scientists.
- In 1997, he helped create the Africa Centre for Population Studies.
- In 2000, he helped start the MRC's HIV Prevention and Vaccine Research Unit.
- In 2002, he got a grant to create the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA).
- In 2003, he helped set up LifeLab, a biotechnology research center.
- In 2007, he helped create the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for TB and HIV (K-RITH).
He was the first director for four of these five research centers.
Key Research Contributions
Dr. Abdool Karim's main research focuses on preventing HIV. He also studies how to treat HIV and TB together. More recently, he has studied the spread and prevention of COVID-19.
HIV Prevention Breakthroughs
He co-led the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel trial. This study showed for the first time that a gel could help prevent HIV infection. In 2012, this discovery was called a major breakthrough. It was even named one of "The Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2010" by Science magazine. This study also found that the gel could prevent another virus called herpes simplex virus type 2.
He also led research that showed how HIV often spreads. Young girls are often infected by men about 10 years older. This finding helped create a new approach to fighting HIV. It is now a top priority in South Africa's AIDS plan.
Dr. Karim has also worked on HIV vaccines. He helped develop a strong antibody called CAP256V2LS. This antibody is being studied to help prevent HIV in the future.
Treating HIV and TB
His research on treating HIV and TB together has been very important. His findings were used in the WHO treatment guidelines. These guidelines are now used in most countries. His work has greatly helped HIV prevention and treatment in Africa and worldwide.
COVID-19 Research
During the Covid-19 pandemic, his work focused on new types of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He studied how these variants affected public health and patient care.
Dr. Abdool Karim has written over 450 scientific papers. He has also helped edit several books on diseases. He has received over $200 million in research funding. He is one of the most cited researchers in the world. This means his work is often used and referred to by other scientists.
He has also helped train many researchers. He co-led a program that trained over 600 researchers. These scientists came from several countries in southern Africa. They learned about AIDS and TB research.
Affiliations and Leadership Roles
Dr. Karim is the director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). He is also a professor of Global Health at Mailman School of Public Health.
He is also a Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is an Adjunct Professor at Harvard University and Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
As Director of CAPRISA, he leads four research centers. These include the UNAIDS Collaborating Centre for HIV Research and Policy. He also directs a Centre of Excellence in HIV Prevention.
From 2012 to 2014, he was the President of the SAMRC. He helped turn the organization around. He improved its goals, made it more efficient, and increased its budget. This greatly improved its research impact and global standing.
Scientific Advice and Policy Contributions
Dr. Abdool Karim has given important advice on AIDS and Covid-19 policies. He has advised governments and international groups. These include the WHO, UNAIDS, and PEPFAR.
He is part of the 9-member WHO Science Council. This group gives scientific advice to the WHO Director-General. He also chaired the UNAIDS Scientific Expert Panel. This panel advised the head of UNAIDS.
He helped write a report called "Defeating AIDS" for the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission. This report planned the future of the global fight against AIDS. He is currently on the Scientific Advisory Board for Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is also on the WHO HIV-TB Task Force.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he advised on policies. He chaired the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19. He was also a member of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus.
Scientific Recognition
Dr. Abdool Karim is a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. He is also a Member of the US National Academy of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the International Science Council.
He is also a member or fellow of many other important scientific groups. These include the American Academy of Microbiology and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
He helps edit the New England Journal of Medicine. This is a very important medical journal. He also serves on advisory boards for Lancet HIV and The Lancet - Global Health.
He has led and organized many AIDS conferences. He was the chairperson for the 2000 Durban XIIIth International AIDS Conference. This conference changed how the world fought AIDS. It helped make AIDS medicines more affordable. He is often asked to give speeches at major international conferences.
Prizes and Awards
Dr. Karim has received many awards for his work on AIDS. He received the African Union's “Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award”. This is the most important science award in Africa.
His other international awards include:
- Japan's Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for medical research.
- Kuwait's “Al-Sumait Prize” for research helping African development.
- Canada's John Dirks Gairdner Health Award.
- Vietnam's VinFuture Special Prize.
- Chile's 500 years of the Straits of Magellan Award.
- The African Union – Africa CDC's CPHIA Lifetime Achievement in Public Health Award.
In 2020, he received the John Maddox Prize. He shared this award with Dr A Fauci. This prize is for scientists who stand up for science.
He also received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Institute of Human Virology. He got the “Olusegun Obasanjo Prize” from the African Academy of Science. He also received the “TWAS Prize in Medical Sciences”.
He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University. He also received the UNISA Chancellor's Calabash Award.
In South Africa, he has received the MRC's “Platinum Medal Lifetime Achievement Award”. He also got the “John F. W. Herschel Medal” from the Royal Society of South Africa. He is considered one of the 50 all-time “Legends of South African Science”.
In 2024, Dr. Karim and his wife, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, received the Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award. Also in 2024, he received The Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture. This was for his scientific leadership and public education.
Fighting for Human Rights
In 1980, Dr. Karim joined the movement against apartheid. He was a student activist. He helped create a newspaper called “Ukusa”. This newspaper encouraged people to fight against racial unfairness.
He helped start the United Democratic Front in 1983. This group was a big step in the fight against apartheid.
Doctors Against Apartheid
After becoming a doctor in 1983, he helped create NAMDA. This was a group for doctors and dentists. It fought against racial and gender unfairness in health. In 1988, he received the “Reebok Human Rights Award”. This was for his work in health and human rights.
During a difficult time in South Africa, some leaders denied that AIDS was a problem. Dr. Karim bravely spoke out against them. He worked to get medicines and money for AIDS treatment. He created one of the largest AIDS treatment programs. This was even though the government was against it.
Fighting Corruption
He has strongly spoken out against corruption and human rights abuses. He has called for action against corruption in South Africa. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he spoke out against abuses by the military. He also spoke against corruption in buying protective equipment.
He is currently on the Advisory Council of Physicians for Human Rights. This group works on health and human rights. He also advises “Defend our Democracy”. This South African group fights corruption.
Personal Life
Dr. Karim is a father of three children. He is married to Quarraisha Abdool Karim. They have also worked together on many important research projects.
