Nov 2023
Abstract
Biodiversity has provided humanity with food, medicines, perfume etc. for thousands of years. A huge proportion of our approved antibiotics, antivirals and antiparasitic drugs are derived from natural products and they have also provided us with new chemical entities.
Whilst it is a known fact that tropical biodiversity is diverse and remains an attractive lore in this endeavour in as much as only a small fraction has been studied. One must also not overlook the fact that people in the global south rely on traditional medicine and medicinal plants for their primary health care.
These medicinal plants represent a shortcut in the search for these highly sought after new bioactive entities.
This lecture will take the student on that journey and explain the challenges that tropical biodiversity is facing as ecosystems get degraded and accompanying loss of this precious resource.
Bio
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has served as the 6th and First Female President of the Republic of Mauritius (2015-2018). Prior to that, she has been the Managing Director of the “Centre International de Développement Pharmaceutique (CIDP) Research and Innovation” as well as Professor of Organic Chemistry with an endowed chair at the University of Mauritius. Since 2001, she has served successively as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Pro Vice Chancellor (2004-2010). She has also worked at the Mauritius Research Council as Manager for Research (1995-1997).
Ms Gurib-Fakim earned a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Surrey (1983) and a PhD from the University of Exeter, UK (1987). During her academic journey, she has participated in several consultation meetings on environmental issues organized by international organizations. Between 2011-2013, she was elected and served as Chairperson of the International Council for Scientific Union – Regional Office for Africa, and served as an Independent Director on the Board of Barclays Bank of Mauritius Ltd between (2012-2015).
As a Founding Member of the Pan African Association of African Medicinal Plants, she coauthored the first ever African Herbal Pharmacopoeia. She has authored and co-edited 30 books, several book chapters and scientific articles in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. She has lectured extensively across the world; is a Member of the Editorial Boards of major journals, has served on Technical and national committees in various capacities.
Elevated to the Order of the Commander of the Star and Key by the Government of Mauritius in 2008, she has been admitted to the Order of the Chevalier dans L’Ordre des Palmes Academiques by the Government of France in 2010 and is the recipient of 6 DSc (s).
Elected Fellow of several academies and societies, Ms Gurib-Fakim received several international prizes including the 2007 l’Oreal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science, the African Union Commission Award for Women in Science, 2009. Laureate, National Economic and Social Council (2007) – Government of Mauritius; Laureate for the CTA/NEPAD/AGRA/RUFORUM for ‘African Women in Science’ (2009).
On 05 June 2015, she was sworn in as the 6th President and the First Female President of the Republic of Mauritius and served in that capacity until March 2018.
She was elevated to the Order of GCSK by the Government of Mauritius, and received the Legion d’Honneur from the Government of France in 2016. In 2016, she was admitted to the Order of Francois 1er des Deux Siciles. In 2017, she received both the lifelong achievement award of the United States Pharmacopoeia-CePat Award and the American Botanical Council Norman Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award. In 2018, she received the Order of St George at the Semperopernball, Dresden, Germany.
In 2019, she received the ‘Trailblazing award for political leadership’ by the World Women Leaders Council in Iceland. In 2020, she was elected Honorary President of the International and Engineering Institute and received their 2020 5th IETI Annual Scientific Award. She also received the IAS-COMSTECH Ibrahim Memorial Award from the WIAS in Jordan. In 2021, she received the Benazir Bhutto Lifetime Achievement Award, the Obada Prize, Egypt and the RUFORUM Recognition Prize 2021.
In 2021, she has been appointed as Distinguished Professor at the John Wesley School of Leadership, Carolina University, USA.
In June 2016, she was in the Forbes List for the 100 ‘Most Powerful women in the world’ and 1st among the Top 100 Women in Africa Forbes List 2017, 2019.
She is honoured as one of Foreign Policy’s 2015 Global Thinkers. In 2022, she serves on the Science Advisory Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome.