MEEKS, CRENSHAW RECOGNIZE NOBEL-PRIZE WINNING SCIENTISTS FOR LANDMARK ADVANCEMENTS ON MALARIA, PARASITIC DISEASES

MEEKS, CRENSHAW RECOGNIZE NOBEL-PRIZE WINNING SCIENTISTS FOR LANDMARK ADVANCEMENTS ON MALARIA, PARASITIC DISEASES

Co-Chairs of Congressional Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases cite scientists’ great contributions to humankind

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) congratulated three 2015 Nobel Prize-winning scientists whose discoveries led to drugs that have spared millions of people from the burden of malaria and three types of parasitic diseases. The Congressman issued the following statement for their historic milestone:

“We congratulate William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura for their discovery of Ivermectin, a medicine that has nearly eradicated river blindness and dramatically reduced the incidence of lymphatic filariasis. We also congratulate Tu Youyou for her discovery of Artemisinin, a drug that has significantly reduced malaria mortality rates.

"Together, these scientists have made a great contribution to the advancement of humankind, particularly to the billions of people in the developing world who face a very real threat from these diseases in their everyday lives. The U.S. Government, through the President’s Malaria Initiative and other critical initiatives, has played an instrumental role in the progress of efforts to eradicate malaria and NTDs globally. In the years to come, we remain committed to supporting the highly cost-effective and impactful work of controlling and eliminating the threat of malaria and parasitic diseases.”

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