On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Nagasaki University welcomed Dr. Abdoulaye Djimde, recipient of the 5th Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, along with Dr. Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), and Dr. Wilfried Mutombo Kalonji from DNDi’s Democratic Republic of Congo office.

Dr. Djimde and his colleagues visited Nagasaki in conjunction with a special lecture held at the university on August 28 to commemorate the 5th Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. Prior to the lecture, they paid a courtesy visit to President Nagayasu Takeshi.

During the meeting, Professor Kita Kiyoshi, Dean of the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health (TMGH), and Professor Kaneko Satoshi, Vice Dean of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, joined the discussion. The participants exchanged views on public health challenges facing Africa, cross-border health issues, academia-industry collaboration, DNDi’s research activities, and the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation under Nagasaki University’s Planetary Health Initiative.

Mr. Imoto Daisuke, Head of DNDi Japan Office, also attended the meeting, and talked about DNDi’s activities in Japan and the potential for international collaboration.

Dr. Pizarro emphasized the need to bridge academia and industry, stating, “Driving innovation as one team is essential.” As a native of Chile, he also expressed interest in Nagasaki University’s Brazil-based initiatives and showed enthusiasm for expanding collaborative research in Latin American countries in the future.

On the following day, August 28, a special lecture was held at the Sakamoto Campus for students and faculty members interested in global health.

About the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize:
https://www.cao.go.jp/noguchisho/award/05/ceremony.html
The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize was established in recognition of the shared global threat posed by infectious diseases. It honors individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to medical research or healthcare services in Africa, with the aim of improving public health and welfare for people in Africa and, ultimately, for all humanity.