Fauci Receives $1 Million Israeli Prize Money for Health, Medicine Contribution During the Pandemic

The United States' top infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has received a monetary Israeli prize worth $1 million. Fauci is among six other researchers who received two additional $1 million prizes for their contributions to health and medicine.

The Dan David prize said it honored Fauci for his career in public health, as well as "speaking truth to power" during the politicized COVID-19 pandemic. The prize was affiliated with Tel Aviv University, according to an NPR report.

The other Dan David Prizes were shared this year by other health and medicine historians namely Dr. Alison Bashford, Dr. Katharine Park and Dr. Keith A. Wailoo in the Past category; and Dr. Zelig Eshhar, Dr. Carl June and Dr. Steven Rosenberg.

June and Rosenberg were known to be pioneers of anti-cancer, immunotherapy, in the Future category, according to The New York Times report.

Fauci won in the "Present" category for his scientific contributions, including his research and his efforts to inform the public about the pandemic. The foundation added that Fauci has been widely praised for his courage in speaking truth to power "in a highly charged environment."

The award allocated 10 percent of the prize money for academic scholarships in each winner's field, which Fauci is yet to determine the nature of the scholarships.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic unraveled, [Fauci] leveraged his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by fear and anxiety and worked relentlessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about the public health measures essential for containing the pandemic's spread," the foundation was quoted in a People report.

The foundation did not mention former president Donald Trump, who was known to have arguments with Fauci and reportedly downplayed the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic since it started last year.

Previous laureates include filmmakers Ethan and Joel Cohen, novelist Margaret Atwood, and former Vice President Al Gore and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

Fauci's Career

Fauci was the face of the U.S. response during the public health crisis during a turbulent under Trump's administration, according to an Independent report.

In addition, Trump sidelined him from the foreground of the federal response in the final months of his administration. Fauci has then returned to the White House under current U.S. President Joe Biden, who made him a chief medical adviser.

Hours after Biden's inauguration, Fauci addressed the World Health Organization to assure that the agency will honor its partnership and funding commitments, after Trump antagonized the United Nations' health group and pledged to isolate the U.S. from its global health efforts.

Since 1984 Fauci has served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is one of the leading efforts to develop HIV treatments. He also helped launched former president George W Bush's President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003.

Fauci has been issuing COVID-19 warnings ever since the start of the pandemic, while having arguments with Trump.

In Apr. 5, Trump and Fauci promoted different messages about hydroxychloroquine. Trump then blocks Fauci from answering a question about hydroxychloroquine and scolded the journalist who asked during the White House press briefing, according to a USA Today report.