Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Professor to Receive Prestigious Global Infectious Diseases Award
- Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Faculty of Health Sciences
Professor Shabir Madhi to receive Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement
Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of the Witwatersrand, has been named the recipient of the 2026 National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement — one of the world’s leading honours in infectious diseases and vaccinology.
The award recognises Prof Madhi’s decades-long contribution to vaccine research, public health, and disease prevention, particularly in African settings where infectious diseases continue to disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. His research has played a pivotal role in shaping global vaccination policies and improving child survival rates worldwide.
As Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (VIDA) at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½, Professor Madhi has led groundbreaking studies on pneumococcal, rotavirus, influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines. His work generated critical evidence supporting the introduction of life-saving vaccines in low-and middle-income countries, helping prevent hundreds of thousands of child deaths globally.
Madhi has also been instrumental in strengthening Africa’s leadership in vaccinology and infectious disease research through initiatives such as the African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE), co-founded at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University. His international leadership includes serving on advisory bodies for the World Health Organization and chairing South Africa’s National Advisory Group on Immunization.
The NFID described the award as recognition of Madhi’s “lasting contributions and influential career in vaccine research and global disease prevention,” highlighting the global impact of his scientific work and advocacy for equitable vaccine access.
The 2026 NFID awards will be presented in Washington, DC, later this year. Other award recipients include Richard J. Hatchett, who will receive the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award, and Kathleen M. Neuzil, recipient of the John P. Utz Leadership Award
Professor Madhi’s latest recognition further reinforces Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University’s standing as a globally influential institution in infectious diseases research, vaccinology, and public health innovation.
Read full press release here: https://www.nfid.org/nfid-announces-recipients-of-prestigious-2026-infectious-disease-awards/