Dr Caroline Harper wins the first Hemingway Award

Sightsavers’ CEO Dr Caroline Harper has been chosen as the recipient of the first Hemingway Award for her work to help eliminate trachoma.

The award, nominated by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), was launched in October 2018. It recognises former LSTM director Professor Janet Hemingway’s career and achievements to encourage new medical procedures and practices.

Nominees can be researchers, scientists and professionals from anywhere in the world, and Dr Harper was chosen for her work transforming the funding landscape to treat blinding trachoma.

Under Dr Harper’s leadership, Sightsavers has expanded significantly, treating and protecting millions of people for neglected tropical diseases such as trachoma. She has been key to developing the partnerships that funded the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and has secured more than £150 million to help eliminate blinding trachoma in Africa.

Dr Harper said: “I am honoured to be the first recipient of the Hemingway Award. I only played one part in this: there are so many people within Sightsavers and other organisations, including the World Health Organization, who have played indispensable roles. I must also thank the donors, without whom trachoma would still be rampant, causing untold suffering, particularly across Africa.”

Professor Hemingway said: “I am delighted that Caroline is the first recipient of the new Hemingway Award. She has been instrumental in turning Sightsavers into a global force, building collaborative efforts to reduce trachoma and having a significant impact on health in the tropics.”

The award will be presented at a ceremony in the UK early next year.

Meet our CEO, Caroline Harper