Professor Abdool Karim on Standing Up for Science
Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Prof Salim S. Abdool Karim was catapulted into a prominent position in the media as the face of South Africa’s scientific response to the pandemic. Before then, his ground-breaking HIV/AIDS research had garnered many awards, leading to his recognition as one of the world’s leading epidemiologists and making him ideally positioned to take the scientific lead in South Africa’s Covid-19 response.
Professor Abdool Karim will address the press club, looking back on the lessons we can draw from the Covid-19 pandemic and how it helps us prepare for future pandemics.
His new book, Standing Up for Science, will be available for sale. In it, he shares a personal, behind-the-scenes account of the first three years of the pandemic and sheds light on the difficulties in providing scientific advice to a sceptical public. He also provides insight into the international co-operation that was integral to responding to the pandemic, as well as some of the controversies in the journey of science-to-policy.
He will take questions.
Photo/s: International Science Council
Speaker
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Prof Abdool Karim