UCT Professor of Medicine Linda-Gail Bekker received the 2018 Desmond Tutu Award for HIV Prevention Research and Human Rights at the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) Conference in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
The former president of the International Aids Society, Professor Bekker was recognised on Monday for her leadership in research aimed at developing new HIV prevention methods.
“Linda-Gail Bekker is a tireless and innovative leader of efforts to ensure effective HIV prevention for all,” said the HIVR4P co-chairperson, Zvavahera Mike Chirenje, of the University of Zimbabwe.
“From her clinics in the impoverished Masiphumelele and New Crossroads townships of Cape Town to her role as chief operating officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, and in her capacity as immediate past president of the International Aids Society, Linda-Gail’s fearless advocacy and personalised models of care have saved lives and helped to break down barriers of stigma and discrimination in HIV prevention.”