Malaria, HIV/Aids Solutions Win Big At Innovation Prize for Africa

Friday, June 24, 2016

A ground-breaking anti-malarial drug made from natural plant extracts has won the 2016 Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) today; while software to combat HIV drug-resistance medication and a cheap, simple urine test for malaria were the other big winners.

Api-Palu, made by Dr Valentin Agon of Benin, won the IPA $100,000 grand prize in Gaborone, Botswana. Dr Imogen Wright of South Africa won the second prize, while Nigeria Dr Eddy Agbo claimed the special prize for Social impact. Both prizes have $25,000 endowments.

In its fifth year, the Innovation Prize for Africa – which the landmark programme of the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) – saw 985 applications of which 10 finalists were selected across a range of fields.

“A product for malaria [prevention] coming from Africa for Africans, this is my dream. My dream come true, because malaria is one the biggest killers in Africa and finding a solution which is based on natural product is just what I have been dreaming about,” Jean Claude Bastos de Morais, the AIF founder, told me. “I am so proud of Dr Agon. We have followed what he has done very deeply for quite some time. He has spent 16 years of researching what he is doing.”

Source: Forbes (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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innovation