Senator Booker, Senator Collins, Congresswoman Houlahan, and the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 honored with GHTC Innovating for Impact Awards

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) yesterday honored Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) for their leadership in championing global health research and development (R&D) at its 2024 Innovating for Impact Awards, an annual initiative celebrating US policymakers and partnerships catalyzing global health innovation. GHTC also recognized the partners that developed and are accelerating global access to the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2)—a next-generation oral polio vaccine that is accelerating global polio eradication efforts—for their efforts to advance this groundbreaking new product.

Senator Booker, who is chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, was honored with a Congressional Champion Award for his leadership in introducing the Supporting Innovative Global Health Technologies (SIGHT) Act to establish a new disease-agnostic R&D program at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as his support of numerous other bills to bolster R&D for neglected diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and infectious disease monitoring. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, in the same way that infectious disease anywhere is a threat to the justice, the safety, the peace, the health of all people everywhere,” Senator Booker said in accepting the award.

GHTC also recognized Senator Collins, who is Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, with a Congressional Champion Award for the pivotal role she has played in protecting and expanding funding for global health research at the National Institutes of Health and other key US agencies, as well as her support of critical bills to advance global health research, including the Reach Every Mother and Child Act to advance innovative tools to end preventable child and maternal deaths. “As a leader of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve long supported strong funding for global health programs…We have proven that compassionate, targeted foreign aid, in conjunction with private philanthropy, can save lives and improve health for millions of people all around the world,” Senator Collins stated in prerecorded acceptance remarks.

Additionally, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan was celebrated with a Congressional Champion Award for her leadership in introducing the SIGHT Act to supercharge health innovation at USAID, as well as her co-sponsorship of other notable legislation to strengthen preparedness and response to health emergencies, including the Global Health Security and Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Acts. “Disease does not respect boundaries, and health emergencies are clearly continuing…so that’s the exact reason…that I’m supporting and introducing the Supporting Innovative Global Health Technologies Act,” Congresswoman Houlahan remarked in her acceptance speech. “It’s important that we work with our partners across government, across the nonprofit world, and of course, across the world of business…to make sure that we address issues such as disease,” she noted.

Finally, GHTC presented the Partnership Award to Dr. John Konz, Global Head of Viral Diseases at PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access,  who accepted the award on behalf of the many partners who contributed to the development and global rollout of nOPV2. This innovative vaccine has been engineered to be less likely than the original oral polio vaccine to cause vaccine-derived polio cases, and it protects against the type 2 strain of polio virus, which causes the majority of these cases. Though these cases are extremely rare, because the world has achieved such stunning success in reducing polio, these variant cases today outnumber wild polio cases, posing a significant barrier to eradication.

nOPV2 was advanced from idea to impact thanks to a constellation of global partners. These include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Bio Farma; Cevaxin; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries; the US Food and Drug Administration; icddr,b;   Intravacc; the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine’s Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia; the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; UNICEF; the University of Antwerp; the University of California, San Francisco; the World Health Organization (WHO); and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. 

In 2020, nOPV2 became the first-ever vaccine to be authorized for emergency use by WHO, and since then, more than a billion doses have been delivered to children in high-risk settings—bringing us closer to a polio-free world.

“It’s been a privilege for PATH to lead and facilitate this project over the past nine years, and it’s an honor to accept this award on behalf of the people and the organizations that made this vaccine a reality,” said Dr. Konz. “It’s truly a story of 70 years of investments and innovation.” 

“GHTC is thrilled to honor Senator Booker, Senator Collins, Congresswoman Houlahan, and the partners who advanced nOPV2 with our Innovating for Impact Awards,” said Dr. Kristie Mikus. “Strong political will and smart partnerships are key to delivering next-generation cures and vaccines to fight the world’s deadliest health threats. We’re delighted to recognize the outstanding work of our honorees who are making progress possible.”

Now in its eighth year, the Innovating for Impact Awards celebrate US commitment to global health R&D and honor the multisector partnerships and policymakers helping to transform breakthrough scientific research into lifesaving technologies for unmet global health challenges. 

Learn more about the initiative and past honorees.

View photos from the event on Flickr and Facebook.