In a world that demands rapid results, Professors Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim have spent decades proving that patience and persistence can save lives. Recognized as a collaborative force driving advancements in HIV prevention, they recently received the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award, a prize often referred to as ‘America’s Nobel’. This award honors their transformative contributions to HIV/AIDS research and their leadership during Covid-19.
As the Lasker Foundation noted in a press release announcing the award, the duo are celebrated “for illuminating key drivers of heterosexual HIV transmission and introducing life-saving approaches with which to prevent and treat HIV”.
Starting his research journey in apartheid-era South Africa, Prof Salim’s first published paper, written in his third year of medical school, tackled health disparities among racial groups — an early indication of his commitment to addressing the social context within public health. “Addressing inequality and empowering the vulnerable has always been integral to our approach,” he emphasizes to FORBES AFRICA, underscoring how public health can never be divorced from the societal behaviors and contexts from which it arises.
Salim recalls their return to South Africa in the late 1980s, knowing the scale of the HIV crisis they would face. “When we came back from New York in 1988, we saw the devastation HIV was causing. We knew this would be a massive problem in South Africa, and we had to act.” Over the next 18 years, the couple encountered countless setbacks but persevered, leading to the development of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), now the gold standard for HIV prevention.
“For 18 years, all we did was fail. We went from one study to another, learning as we went,” Salim reflects. “But we kept going because the problem wasn’t going away.” Their persistence culminated in assisting a major breakthrough, as PrEP revolutionized HIV prevention, particularly for women.
Karims’ work has always been intertwined with social justice. “For us, research was always about more than just science; it was a way to address inequality and empower the vulnerable,” Salim explains. They tackled HIV from a sociological angle, addressing factors like age-disparate sex that disproportionately affected young, economically disadvantaged women. “HIV isn’t just a virus — it’s deeply influenced by social factors. That’s something we had to factor into our research.”
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When Covid-19 emerged, they quickly adapted to confront this new pandemic. “In just two weeks, we had the virus sequence and were racing to understand it. Everything was moving fast, but our experience with HIV helped us adapt,” Salim recalls. Their swift response highlighted their value as public health leaders, offering guidance not only to South Africa but also to institutions like the WHO and Africa CDC.
For young scientists, Salim distills their journey into a simple formula: Passion, Excellence, and Perseverance, or “PEP.” “Find something that excites you, pursue excellence, and above all, persevere. Success often lies on the far side of failure,” he advises. This wisdom, born from decades of challenges and achievements, offers a blueprint for future public health leaders.
Despite their accolades, the pair are not resting on their laurels. They continue to work on long-acting HIV prevention strategies and are preparing for future pandemics. For them, the Lasker-Bloomberg Award is not the end — it is a milestone that fuels their ongoing mission. As Salim aptly puts it, “We’ve spent a lifetime failing and learning, but ultimately, we’ve changed what’s possible.”
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