A prestigious prize that honours exceptional contributions to health research is the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.
The illustrious Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research has been given to Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, distinguished university professor and founding director of the Institute for Global Health and Development and the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University, for his contributions to international child health.
A prestigious prize that honours exceptional contributions to health research is the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.
The prize, which was established in 2005 by the Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FCIHR), is given each year to a researcher who has had a significant influence on health research throughout the world.
Candidates are judged on the significance, value, and contributions they have made to the larger field of health research.
Dr. Bhutta, a well-known figure in the fields of public health research and advocacy for global health, has made outstanding contributions to the study of child development and health, with a focus on enhancing maternal and child health in developing nations.
This is clear from his distinguished academic background, affiliation with renowned global health organisations, and list of numerous awards bestowed upon him. Dr. Bhutta serves as the board chair of the National Institute of Health, Pakistan, and is a Distinguished National Professor of the Government of Pakistan.
Additionally, he has held the positions of technical member of the high-level UN Health and Human Rights committee as well as co-Chair of the Maternal and Child Health oversight committee for the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO).
Dr. Bhutta is a prominent contributor to important Lancet series that promote interventions in global health that are supported by evidence.
He is the leader of sizable research teams with locations in Pakistan, Canada, and Central Asia. His areas of expertise include research synthesis, expanding the use of evidence-based interventions in community settings, and conducting implementation research in health systems that are vulnerable.
He recently oversaw the Lancet series on maximising child and adolescent health (2022), which offers a road map for children all over the world to recover from COVID-19. He has so far written over 1,275 publications with indexes, including ten books and more than 150 book chapters.
Dr. Bhutta has received numerous honours and recognitions over the years, including admission to the National Academy of Medicine, election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and ranking among the top 100 medical scientists worldwide by Research.com.
He is one of the most highly cited academics in the field of global health. His contributions to global child health were recognised by the Senate of Canada with the Canada 150 Medal, and he received the Roux Prize for 2021 for his work on the impact of evidence-based public health.
The John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, which honours Dr. Bhutta’s work on the creation and assessment of evidence-based interventions in maternal and child health for underserved populations, was also given to him. One of the founding professors at AKU is Professor Bhutta.
AKU served as the foundation for his illustrious career, where he built research programmes on maternal and child health and nutrition with a national and international impact after he started working there in 1986.
He holds the highest faculty rank the university can bestow at AKU, the title of Distinguished University Professor, as well as an Award of Distinction and an Award of Excellence in Research.
Dr. Bhutta will present public lectures in 2023 as part of the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research and the Friesen Prize Program.