Accra, May 21, GNA – Professor Lydia Mosi of the University of Ghana has received a lifetime achievement award from Spain’s Anesvad Foundation for her decades-long research into Buruli ulcer and other neglected tropical skin diseases.
The award was presented at the foundation’s 11th annual ceremony in Spain, which honours individuals and organisations working to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), conditions that affect more than one billion people globally, according to the World Health Organization.
Prof. Mosi, an associate professor of cell and molecular biology in the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, was recognised for a career spanning more than 50 high-impact scientific publications on NTDs, her influence on health policy, and her role in securing over $20 million in research funding.
Each award carries a €15,000 grant to support the recipient’s projects.
In her acceptance speech, Mosi traced the origins of her work to her undergraduate years, when she encountered her first Buruli ulcer patient.
“I started this journey out of curiosity as an undergraduate student when I saw my first Buruli ulcer patient with a huge lesion that was painless,” she said. “To be recognised for work in neglected tropical skin diseases and my work in Buruli ulcer is especially meaningful because these conditions have, for far too long, reflected a deeper neglect—not only of diseases, but of the people who live with them.”
She dedicated the award to the memory of her late mother, saying she had always believed she would reach such heights.
Prof. Mosi used the occasion to highlight the broader impact of tropical skin diseases beyond clinical outcomes.
“Neglected tropical skin diseases are more than medical conditions. They affect education, livelihoods, mental health and social inclusion. Behind every statistic is a child excluded from school, a parent unable to work, or an individual facing stigma and isolation,” she said.
She urged young scientists to “challenge indifference, strengthen local leadership, and ensure that no disease and no person is considered too neglected to matter.”
Ghana was also recognised at the ceremony, with the Ark Development Organisation receiving an award in the category of environmental, social and economic determinants for preventing NTDs with cutaneous manifestations.
Its director, Emmanuel Kwafo Mintah, accepted the award.
Another award, in the category of communication actions to influence policies on cutaneous NTDs, went to Ethiopia’s National Podoconiosis Action Network.
This year’s edition of the awards marked the recent establishment of the Spanish Coalition against Neglected Tropical Diseases, a platform bringing together stakeholders in research, international cooperation and healthcare.
Since its inception in 2015, the Anesvad Foundation has supported 48 projects and professional careers across more than a dozen African countries, disbursing a total of €865,000 in funding.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade