( MENAFN - PR Newswire) ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HIV and AIDS activist Zackie Achmat today received the 2024 James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health. Achmat is honored for his groundbreaking work in increasing access to life-saving therapies for people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries.
His efforts have led to millions of lives saved and substantial increases in life expectancy. The James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health award was presented this afternoon at the American Public Health Association's (APHA) annual meeting, which is taking place in Minneapolis. The award recognizes an outstanding leader who is making major contributions to the improvement of public health.
It is intended for those who have done the most to improve health for the greatest number of people. The monetary award for the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health is $100,000. "Zackie's heroic advocacy for South Africans to get fair and equitable access to lifesaving therapies for HIV and AIDS exemplifies the true meaning of the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health-doing the most good for the most people," said Martha Katz, MPA, board chair of the James F.
and Sarah T. Fries Foundation. "We are so honored to present Zackie with this year's award.
" In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Achmat co-founded the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in 1998. TAC led a robust effort to guarantee that all South Africans .