Prof. Miriam K. Were, the Laureate of the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize (Medical Services Category) in 2008 visited Japan to participate inSTS Forum( Science and Technology in Society Forum) and encourage the victims of the great east Japan earthquake in Fukushima.
STS Forum was held in Kyoto from October 2 to 4. She had a lecture “CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES THROUGH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH STRATEGY”. During the presentation, she emphasized the community health approach appropriate for Africa’s development needs: In most sub- Sahara African countries, the majority of the people lives in communities far away from health facilities and many people suffer from infectious diseases. Bringing health to the community improves access for all to health care. Through the community health strategy, the people can be integrated into the formal health system. This provides plenty of opportunities to control infectious and other communicable diseases in sub-Sahara Africa.
Then, she visited Fukushima prefecture on October 5 and 6. During her visit, she visited places related to Dr. Hideyo Noguchi and areas hit by the great east Japan earthquake. Her great career as a doctor and her warm personality (well-known as “Mama Miriam” or “Big mama”) encouraged victims and volunteers in Fukushima.
Before her departure for Kenya, she visited Tokyo October 7 and 8. She exchanged views with people related to The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. The list of the personas she met is as below:
(in alphabetical order)
■Dr. Kiyoshi KUROKAWA
Professor of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
Chairperson of Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize committee
■Dr. Makoto MUGITANI
Assistant Minister, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
■Mr. Yasuhiro SONODA
Parliamentary Vice-Ministers of Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
■Dr. Keizo TAKEMI
Professor, Research Institute of Science and Technology, Tokai University