Joining the ranks of Nobel laureat Proffessor Wangair Mathai, is Kenya’s own Dr. Miriam K. Were who has been named along side Britians Brian Greenwood as the prize winners of the prestigious Hideyo Nohuch Africa Prizes for outstanding accomplishement in the field of Medical resaech.

The Government of Japan has confirmed the decision to award the inaugural Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prizes to Brian Greenwood for his innovative work on Malaria in Africa and Miriam K. Were for commitment to bring basic health rights to poor women and children in the villages of East Africa. Her work has been a beacon of hope for millions of people in Africa and the world.

The laureates of each category will be awarded a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (approximately 1 million US dollars) at the award ceremony on 28 May 2008 in Japan at the side show of TICAD.

Born 1940 in Kenya, Dr Were graduated as Doctor of Public Health, Health Planning and Management in 1981 from the Johns Hopkins University, USA and is Co-founder and Health Specialist UZIMA Foundation, Kenya

For the past 40 years, Were has dedicated her life to advancing the health and welfare of the people of Africa through a focus on the practicalities of delivering service at a local level. She has united communities to develop and implement innovative solutions to quotidian health problems.

The most illustrious example of her community-based approach is her ongoing work to build public toilet facilities in local communities, improving hygiene and overcoming longstanding taboos. She also drastically raised the infant vaccination rate by organizing children into small groups to visit local clinics. Her innovation and systemic precedents have had enduring impacts not only in Kenya but throughout the East African region and across the entire continent, through her engagement with the African Union and as a key health advisor to the African Heads of State on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Her style of work through the direct engagement of the youth, sex workers, intravenous drug users, homosexuals and others to encourage openness and frank discussion on sexuality and HIV/AIDS has galvanized communities in Kenya and contributed to the reduction of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. She is a dedicated advocate for vulnerable populations, especially the poor and the marginalized. She is also committed to the empowerment and development of all voices across lines of sex, tribe, and age and class background. Widows and orphans severely affected by HIV/AIDS are amongst those most positively touched by her contribution to expanding access to medical services.

As the Chairperson of Kenya's National AIDS Control Council, Were has provided strong leadership and orchestrated a balanced HIV/AIDS response agenda that has enabled Kenya to consistently register a reduction of HIV prevalence and AIDS-related mortality. Between 2002 and 2006, HIV prevalence in Kenya was reduced from 13 percent to 5.1 percent. By 2007, the country had 150,000 people on ARV drugs compared to 2,000 in 2002. Throughout, Were has stressed the role that people living with HIV and AIDS can play in the prevention, management and socio-mitigation of the AIDS pandemic. She joins the ranks of Professor Wangari Mathai who is a Nobel laureate who has also demonstarted quality leadership and encouraged Women to participate in governance