The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is delighted that Emeritus Professor and Senior Professional Fellow, David Molyneux, has been awarded The Manson Medal, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s highest mark of distinction. The medal is awarded tri-annually and has been presented since 1923 to the individual judged most deserving by the Society, in terms of their long standing contribution in the field of tropical medicine.
Throughout his illustrious career Professor Molyneux has worked on many insect borne diseases with particular interest in the interaction between the parasites and vectors in order to look at methods of control for the diseases. More recently he has worked tirelessly to promote Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) as deserving of increased attention by the global health community and has acted as an advisor to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on disease control programmes for trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and guinea worm.
David was first appointed to LSTM in 1968 and was Director between 1991 and 2000. He retired as Director in 2000 to establish what is now known as the Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, (previously the Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre), whilst retiring from full time work in 2008 he remains active in a part-time advisory / advocacy capacity.
He has been the recipient of several awards throughout his career, including an Honorary Fellowship of Liverpool John Moores University, but on receiving the Manson Medal he said: “This award is the highest honour bestowed by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and naturally I am delighted to receive it. My work to establish NTDs as a “brand”, with the importance and higher priority given to the diseases, has been the most satisfying outcome following 40 years in the field. I believe that this award represents a change in thinking within the global health community towards control and elimination of NTDs as a mean to address the health poverty cycle in some of the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world.”
Professor Janet Hemmingway CBE, Director of LSTM said: “I am delighted for David; he has been instrumental in rebadging a range of diseases as NTDs and helping to drive the agenda for eliminating one of these, filariasis, that causes enormous suffering to those infected. He has been, and remains, an inspiration to many within LSTM, and recognition on this level is well deserved.”