Dr Cyrus Poonawalla conferred with ABLF Lifetime Achievement Award

The award is presented to visionary leaders from across Asia who inspire and set high standards in leadership excellence.

In a befitting celebration that complements the ‘Year of Tolerance’, the 12th edition of the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) presented its prestigious ABLF Awards to visionary leaders from across Asia, who inspire and set high standards in leadership excellence.

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Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, founder and chairman of Serum Institute of India, was conferred with the ABLF Lifetime Achievement Award in Dubai, UAE at a glittering ceremony on Thursday.

It was in 1966, that Dr Poonawalla embarked on his journey to establish Serum Institute of India, which is now the world’s largest producer of vaccines by number of doses, producing at least 1.5 billion doses a year of life-saving vaccines used in over 170 countries to combat infection from rabies, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, tuberculosis, influenza, meningitis, rotavirus and hepatitis B vaccines among others,thus saving the lives of at least 40 million, mostly under-privileged children across the globe, who would have otherwise perished without the availability of affordable vaccines.

Recently Dr Poonawalla, was also conferred with the prestigious 'Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa' by the University of Oxford, UK at a ceremony in June.

He was also conferred with the honorary degree of 'Doctor of Humane Letters' by the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA last year for his outstanding contribution in improving the public health for all communities. Also known as a philanthropist, focusing on public causes and underserved communities, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla earlier this year was felicitated with the first-ever 'Vaccine Hero' Award by Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative.