The University presented the Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal in Global Public Health for the first time on April 12, 2005 to Dr. William Foege on the 50th anniversary of Francis’ historic announcement that the results of the polio vaccine trials had proven the Salk vaccine to be “safe, effective, and potent.” The medal was next given to Alfred Sommer in 2010 and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 2016. The medal will be given periodically to a recipient whose contributions have advanced global public health and helped to establish a healthier future for society.
2022 Recipient: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general for the World Health Organization who has led the global public health organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, will be awarded the Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health.
2016 Recipient: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
The University of Michigan awarded the Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC — a Bangladesh-based development organization that works to alleviate poverty by empowering the poor.
2010 Recipient: Alfred Sommer
The University of Michigan awarded the Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health to Alfred Sommer, whose research into vitamin A deficiency has saved millions of children from blindness and death.
2005 Recipient: William Foege
William Foege, the recipient of the first-ever Thomas Francis Jr. Medal in Global Public Health, pioneered a successful strategy to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. Foege is the former director of the Carter Center and now senior advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
