Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize @Nairobi, Kenya, August 26, 2016.
Opening speech by Kiyoshi Kurokawa
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Dear Colleagues and Friends
It is fantastic to see you all here at this Conference celebrating Hideyo Noguchi Africa
Prize, on this occasion of Sixth TICAD or Tokyo International Conference on African
Development.
I have had an honor and privilege of chairing Noguchi Africa Prize Committee, thus anhonor to speak to you today.
This is my third visit to this lovely city, Nairobi, and I am glad that African Nations chose
this city to host FIRST TICAD in Africa.
Who is Dr Noguchi? He was a medical doctor, born in a very poor village inFukushima, crippled his left fingers by severe burn by fireside when he was a baby. He
studied hard to become a medical doctor, went to America, joined Rockefeller Instituteat its inception, 1904, from University of Pennsylvania with his mentor Dr Flexner,
inaugural President of Rockefeller Institute, now the world premier Rockefeller
University.
There he discovered in 1911, the cause of progressive paralytic disease was infection ofbrain by spirochete, thus it could be treatable –--indeed, that was the case. Based on
Rockefeller, he traveled to Latin America to find the causes of many diseases. In 1927
he came to Accra of now Ghana to find the cause of deadly Yellow Fever. However, hedied of Yellow Fever in May, 1928, several months of his arrival. He was 51 years-oldand perhaps first Japanese or Asian medical scientist who left significant footsteps inAfrica.
TICAD began in 1993, 23 years ago, by the Government of Japan to help developmentof African Nations, held every five years in Tokyo and Yokohama, with many Heads ofStates of African Nations.

This Prize began when Prime Minister Koizumi visited African Union in Ethiopia, thenvisited Accra, Ghana. There, he announced the creation of the Prize to be presented atTICAD in Japan.
The Prize was presented FIRST in 2008, at TICAD4 and the second time at TICAD5 of2013 or 3 years ago hosted by Prime Minister Abe who hosts this FIRST TICAD in Africa
which begins tomorrow at Kenyatta International Convention Center.
By the way, this is the ONLY Prize of the Government of Japan, thus the award
Ceremony is attended by the Emperor and the Empress of Japan and by the Heads ofThree Branches of the Government of Japan.
Today, right after this opening session, you will see a short video of the history of thisPrize and the message of four Laureates whom I introduce to you now.
This Prize honors two laureates -- one to an individual who has made an extraordinary
contribution to improve health, healthcare and public health of African people.
Another to an individual who has made critically important important contribution in
medical research to advance medical services and practice predominantly affecting
African people.
Inaugural Laureates of TICAD4 were, Dr Miriam Were of Kenya, the host of thisConference for her contribution to improve community public health services,
spreading the concept and daily practice of hygiene and of awareness of prevention ofHIV/AIDS.
Another was Dr Brian Greenwood of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
who came to Africa some 50 years ago, then spent 30+ years primarily in Africa andhelped establish standard practices for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria
and many other diseases affecting many African people.
In TICAD5, Laureate for public health services was Dr Alex Coutinho of Uganda for his
leadership in engaging community and multiple stakeholders including even patientswith AIDS to advance and spread awareness, prevention and treatment of HIV/AID inparticular.

Another was Dr Peter Piot of Belgium, now heads London School of Hygiene andTropical Medicine, who went to Zaire in mid-1970s when he learned of mysterious
deadly infectious disease killing many people. There, he discovered its cause, now
known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. He spent many years in and on Africa since then,also found in early 1980s, HIV/AIDS are among families and transmissible from motherto children, the fact which was not known in US and elsewhere at that time. Dr Piot
furthered his effort resulting creation of UNAIDS.
Today, we are very fortunate to welcome here 3 Laureates, Drs Were, Greenwood andCoutinho. Dr Piot could not come because of a family gathering to a loss his father
several months ago and I promised him to convey his message of missing very much
this gathering in Nairobi..
I am particularly grateful to Dr Were and her UZIMA Team together with WHO Regional Office for Africa led by Dr Moeti, that have worked very hard for months toplan and prepare for this Conference.
I am very, very, very happy particularly to welcome here many African Leaders ofTomorrow working hard to improve the health and health systems for African people.
YOU are following the footsteps of Drs Were and Coutinho and they are your aspiration
and role model.
I end here by thanking all organizations and individuals involved -- the Government ofKenya and Japan, African Union, WHO-AFRO, UZIMA Foundation, JICA, various
educational and research institutions, GHIT Fund, Office of Noguchi Africa PrizeAND many, many others though I cannot name each as there are so many we owe somuch.
All of You have made this Conference A REALITY and we are very grateful and THANKYOU AGAIN...
THE END OF SPEECH