ICAP’s founder and global director, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, was honored last night at the Centennial Gala of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health for her transformative contributions to the health and well-being of people across the globe.

At an event that also recognized biomedical pioneer P. Roy Vagelos, MD, and renowned public health leader, Anthony S. Fauci, MD, El-Sadr was introduced by Betsy Williams, a member of the Mailman School Board of Advisors, who compared the honoree to a rock star.

“You know you have reached a rare level of fame when you are known by only one name…Bono…Oprah…Madonna…And Wafaa,” Williams began, going on to laud El-Sadr for being “a model for how all of us in global health should conduct ourselves, whether making policy or making rounds.”

In a video tribute, El-Sadr was praised by luminaries in the field of global health for her tireless leadership, her humanity, and her vision.

Among those speaking to El-Sadr’s contributions was Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, who said:  “One of the things that I most admire about Wafaa…is understanding that global health is all of our health, that global health is not something that happens to other people in other places, but that global health is truly…about our shared fate.”

Outgoing Columbia University President Lee Bollinger remarked: “Wafaa is a person who has literally changed the lives of millions of people, saved the lives of millions of people.”

And U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador John Nkengasong, characterized El-Sadr as “a great public health expert because of her ability to…look at a person and not just a disease that you want to treat.”

Watch the full video here.

In accepting the honor, El-Sadr reflected on her formative years as a young medical student in Egypt, where she was assigned to make regular visits to a rural village to care for a family there. 

“This early experience surely inspired me as a young doctor to think beyond the traditional role expected of a physician. And that inspiration has endured,” she told the audience. “Today, every day, I am inspired by the remarkable people I work with … tireless warriors—committed to science, committed to partnership, committed to making a difference, a real difference in the lives of people right here in our own backyard and around the world. It is they who inspire me day in and day out as they save the lives of children, women, and families around the world.”

As ICAP celebrates 20 years of service to global health under Wafaa El-Sadr’s leadership, we join the Mailman School, all of Columbia University, and people across the globe who have benefitted from her passion, vision, and humanity in congratulating her for this well-deserved honor.

About ICAP

A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for nearly two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 30 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies. Online at www.icap.columbia.edu