Professor Refiloe Masekela has been awarded the prestigious American Thoracic Society (ATS) World Lung Health Award for her contributions in the field of peadiatric lung health.
The accolade will be presented to Masekela, a renowned paediatric pulmonologist during the ATS International Conference in San Francisco in May.
The award recognises the outstanding contributions of individuals in improving global lung health through translational or implementation research, healthcare delivery, continuing education, patient care, or political advocacy, with a strong emphasis on addressing gender, racial, ethnic, and economic health disparities.
Masekela, the head of paediatrics and child health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said she felt privileged, honoured and humbled to receive such a prestigious award.
"I am very happy and thankful. It is wonderful to receive recognition for work we do in Africa," she said.
With over 17 years of dedicated research in lung health, Masekela is currently the global health research professor at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with a research focus on paediatric asthma and lung physiological testing. Her work has significantly influenced the field of paediatric respiratory medicine, earning her international acclaim.
Masekela, who is also the president of the South African Thoracic Society, has been doing research looking at the respiratory disease in children as well as other respiratory conditions such as bronchiectasis and pneumonia.
She has looked at lung function testing and lung physiology and ways to improve respiratory diagnostics in young children.
"In South Africa and Africa asthma in general is an under recognised, under-resourced and poorly managed condition. It affects one in 10 children globally, hence my interest. There are a lot of myths around the disease. It is about accepting the diagnosis and treatment. My aim is for children to receive correct diagnosis and affordable treatment to lead healthy lives. A healthy child is a healthy adult," said Masekela.
Masekela has earned multiple high-profile leadership roles in global lung health initiatives.
She serves as the co-Chair of the Global Asthma Network and the President of the Pan African Thoracic Society. She is also the co-chair of the Federation of Respiratory Societies (FIRS) Lung Health Task Force Steering Committee.
Masekela is a member in leading global organisations, including the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Scientific Committee, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Global Lung Initiative (GLI) Network Clinical Research Collaboration Committee, the ERS Long Range Planning Committee for the Paediatrics Assembly, and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE
Related Topics: