Dr Firdausi Qadri, a senior scientist and globally respected expert in infectious disease prevention, has been awarded the 2024 VinFuture Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries.

The prestigious recognition celebrates her pioneering contributions to the development and rollout of affordable vaccines for cholera, typhoid, and HPV, ensuring these life-saving solutions reach vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, in resource-limited settings.

The award ceremony took place this evening at the Ho Guom Opera House in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Phạm Minh Chính.

Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vingroup and the founder of the VinFuture Foundation, and Madam Pham Thu Huong, vice-chairperson of the Board of Directors of Vingroup and co-founder of the VinFuture Foundation, were also present on the occasion.

The VinFuture Prize, established to honour innovations that transform lives and build a sustainable future, received nearly 1,500 nominations from over 80 countries and territories this year.

Firdausi's work exemplifies the theme of the 2024 awards, "Resilient Rebound," which celebrates resilience and progress through scientific ingenuity.

The Grand Prize, was jointly awarded to Professor Yoshua Bengio, Professor Geoffrey Everest Hinton, Jen-Hsun Huang, and Yann LeCun for their groundbreaking contributions to the development of deep learning.

Their revolutionary work has transformed artificial intelligence, enabling significant advancements across fields such as healthcare, autonomous systems, and environmental science, demonstrating the immense potential of AI to improve lives globally.

The VinFuture Prize, one of the most prestigious global science and technology awards, comprises a Grand Prize of $3 million and three Special Prizes of $500,000 each.

icddr,b celebrates this recognition of Dr Qadri's tireless dedication to global health equity and scientific excellence, which has left a profound impact on the lives of millions and continues to inspire future generations.