11 November 2010 - Berlin, Germany -- The Stop TB Partnership today announced the winners of the Award for Excellence in Reporting on Tuberculosis (TB) and Images to Stop TB Award. The journalism award recognizes outstanding reporting and commentary in print and on the web that materially increases the public's knowledge and understanding of TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), in countries affected by the disease. The Partnership confers first, second and third prizes in two categories: for journalists based in low- and middle-income countries and those based in high-income countries*.
The Images to Stop Tuberculosis Award seeks to obtain outstanding photos depicting TB prevention and treatment and community activity to raise awareness about it. Both awards are supported by the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, Photojournalist Gary Knight serves as Chair of the award's Advisory Board.
The first prize winner in the low- and middle-income category, who will receive an award of US$ 3000, is Lungi Langa of South Africa. Her article, "I didn't think I'd have TB" [.pdf], published in The Daily News, recounts the writer's personal saga of confronting the disease. Anna Biernat of Poland takes second prize for her article "Zpamietnika suchotnika" ("The diary of a consumptive") [.pdf], another personal account of battling TB that was published in Polityka, a weekly news magazine. Ms Biernat will receive US$ 2000 in prize money. The third place winner, who will receive a $US 1000 award, is Sabina Aliyeva of Azerbaijan. Her article, «Палочка Коха, уносящая жизни» ("Koch bacillus takes lives") [.pdf] was published in the «Каспий» newspaper and recounts the life of the widow of a man who died of multidrug-resistant TB.
Two journalists tied for the first prize in the high-income category and will each receive US$ 2500 in prize money (an equal share of the first and second prizes combined). Andrew Jack's "Diagnosis: Hope" [.pdf], published in the Financial Times (United Kingdom), points to the troubling lack of funding for TB research. Jen Skerrit's six-part series, "The Forgotten Disease" [.pdf] published in the Winnepeg Free Press, draws attention to the ever-present toll of TB in Canada's most isolated rural communities. Jenna Sloan and Kate Wighton of the United Kingdom will share the third prize of US$ 1000 for their article "Singer joins campaign to wipe out TB across the globe" [.pdf]which appeared in The Sun and chronicles the travels in South Africa of Craig David, Goodwill Ambassador against TB.
The winner of the 2010 Images to Stop Tuberculosis Award is the Moldovan/American photographer Misha Friedman. Mr Friedman's portfolio, which depicts the stigma and hardships faced by people with multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB in Central Asia, was selected by an international jury from among 33 entries. He will receive a grant of $5000 to produce a photo essay on TB and $5000 in prize money.
*World Bank criteria: World Bank Country Classification