In his foreword of Standing up for Science: A Voice of Reason, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO wrote: “His work is a reminder of the enduring value of science in the service of global health.
In his foreword of Standing up for Science: A Voice of Reason, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization wrote: “His work is a reminder of the enduring value of science in the service of global health. His strong sense of social justice is tempered by a commitment to remain true to the science. As this book illustrates, Slim does not shy away from highlighting the injustices that often attend those inequalities, including those inequities that emerged so starkly, particularly in the early phases of the global distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine.”
Standing up for Science: A Voice of Reason authored by Prof Salim Abdool Karim, South Africa’s Chief Covid-19 Science Adviser was launched by publishing house Pan Macmillan South Africa on 26 June at the Durban ICC.
The launch attended by leading international scientists, government officials and collaborators listened intently to Abdool Karim’s brief account of his personal, behind-the-scenes experience of the first three years of the pandemic, the ground-breaking and globally recognized achievements made through science in a battle against an unprecedented time in our history.
Ambassador John Nkengasong, Prof Jeremy Farrar and Peter Piot participated in a panel discussion, moderated by Prof Cate Hankins, (McGill University & member of the Canadian Covid-19 committee) and shared valuable insights and lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prof Peter Piot, EU Chief Scientific Adviser on Epidemics said Standing up for Science was ‘A must-read to understand the complex and vital interaction between science and politics by one of the world’s thought leaders in science and health, sharing precious, first-hand experience during the Covid pandemic.’
All royalties from Standing up for Science are being provided to medical research. The author is not receiving any financial benefit from sales of the book.
“This is more than just a personal and captivating narrative about the events that transpired during and after the pandemic – the intricacies of translating science into policy; the international linkages and coordination of effective Covid response plans, and the important lessons learnt that will better prepare leaders and nations for future epidemics,” explained Andrea Nattrass, Publisher at Pan Macmillan. “Standing Up for Science is a stimulating read and ode to science from one of the world’s leading epidemiologists.”
Standing up for Science is available at Exclusive Books in South Africa and online at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blackwell's UK:
Cover Photo: caption: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO receives a copy of the book from Prof Salim Abdool Karim in Geneva, Switzerland