Professor Daniël Christiaan de Wet Swanepoel wins African Academy of Sciences prize
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) has named Professor Daniël Christiaan de Wet Swanepoel the winner of the 2018 Olusegun Obasanjo Prize for Scientific Breakthrough and Technological Innovation.
Prof Swanepoel from University of Pretoria, South Africa, was selected for the prestigious award for his innovative and highly impactful research work in tele-health and mobile health (mHealth), specifically in the field of audiology.
He has conducted numerous research studies on using smartphone technologies to provide equitable access to hearing healthcare services, especially in low and middle-income countries.
Senior Researcher
He is a full professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria and Senior Researcher at the Ear Science Institute Australia.
He has 20 years of experience in ear and hearing research and is widely recognised as a leading international scholar.
Prof Swanepoel is the third South African to win the AAS Prize. He will receive a prize of Sh500,000. Other South African winners of the prize include Prof Salim Abdool Karim and Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim. They were the inaugural winners of the prize in 2011 for their highly acclaimed work on the use of the microbicide and Tenofovir gel.
The other winner was the late Professor Viness Pillay. He won the prize in 2013 for developing an oral formula for administering antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to children.
While announcing the winner, Prof Felix Dapare Dakora, the President of the African Academy of Sciences said: “Congratulations to Prof Daniël Christiaan de Wet Swanepoel for achieving this feat. This award is a testament to his ingenuity in audiology and his dedication to improving the quality of life of Africans suffering from hearing impairment.”
“Prof Swanepoel has pushed the boundaries in science to come up with innovative and impactful solutions to improve ‘ear and hearing care’ in Africa. As I extend my congratulations to him, I also welcome him to our growing membership of Fellows.”
Scientific discovery
The AAS awards the Olusegun Obasanjo Prize for Scientific Breakthrough and Technological Innovation every two years to honour African scientists who have made outstanding contributions in scientific discovery or technological innovation. Winners automatically become Fellows of the AAS as individuals who have reached the highest level of excellence in their field of expertise and have made contributions to the advancement of the field in Africa.
“It is an honour to receive this prestigious award and it serves as a further inspiration to see access to healthy hearing become a reality for every African,” said Prof Swanepoel.
The award is named after former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Meanwhile, the 12th AAS General Assembly is taking place virtually from 7-9 December 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prof Barthelemy Nyasse, Secretary-General of the AAS said, the virtual event will provide a platform to showcase AAS achievements and science in Africa and to provide a platform to raise the profile of scientists in the region.
The theme of this year’s assembly is “Converging the Sciences, Changing the Culture.” The 12th General Assembly will also induct new Fellows and Affiliates who joined the AAS in 2019 and will include a session for scientists to showcase their research, which will be open to the public.
