People
Woman with No Medical Degree Finds Cure for
Malaria, Wins Nobel Prize
Tu Youyou became the first
Chinese woman to win a Nobel
Prize. The 84-year-old won the
2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine
for creating a drug to fight malaria
and she did so with no medical
degree, no doctorate, and no
Tu Youyou time spent working overseas. It’s
amazing.
In the 1960s, when Tu was an undergrad in Pharmacology,
she was sent to work on a cure for malaria at the behest
of Chinese leader Mao Zedong. She studied ancient texts
and finally came upon information that in 400 AD, people
used sweet wormwood to treat it with some success.
Tu studied more, worked on her recipe, and finally made a
discovery that led to a drug that combats malaria-carrying
parasites. Today, that drug is used world-wide and is
credited with saving millions of lives.
New Country Lead Appointed for Amref Health
Africa in Kenya
Amref Health Africa has
appointed Dr Meshack Ndirangu
as the Country Director for the
organization’s programme in
Kenya.
Announcing the appointment
today, Amref Health Africa CEO
Dr Githinji Gitahi congratulated
Dr Ndirangu on his new role.
Dr Meshack Ndirangu
“The Chairman of Amref Health Africa in Kenya Board
and I are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr
Meshack Ndirangu as the Country Director, Amref Health
Africa in Kenya with effect from September 01, 2015. Dr
Ndirangu was recruited through a competitive process
after acting in the same position since November 2014.
He brings to the Country Director role over 17 years of
progressive experience providing technical and managerial
leadership for health programmes in the organization and
in the public sector,” said Dr Gitahi in a statement to staff.
Dr Ndirangu has worked with Amref Health Africa in
Kenya for the last 10 years where he has successfully
led the design and implementation of various health
programmes. He has provided instrumental leadership
strengthening the programme development function of
Amref Health Africa in Kenya, development of successful
proposals to diverse donors including USAID, CDC, and
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2015
the Global Fund, and developing systems for country
programme management. He served as Deputy Country
Director for the Kenya Country Programme from January
2011.
Dr Ndirangu holds a Master of Public Health degree in
Epidemiology and Disease Control, an Executive Master
of Business Administration, Ba