John Kerry to Receive 2026 Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award
The Galien Foundation has named former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the recipient of its 2026 Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity. The honor recognizes his decades of diplomatic work, specifically his efforts linking environmental sustainability to public health and his long-standing advocacy for global HIV/AIDS relief.
The award will be presented on October 29 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City during the 20th anniversary of the Prix Galien USA Awards. Foundation officials highlighted Kerry’s role in navigating the 2015 Paris Climate Accord and his work protecting funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as central to his selection.
Reflecting on the honor, Kerry noted the influence of the late Elie Wiesel, whose legacy serves as the moral compass for the foundation. Kerry emphasized that the path to global health equity requires an integrated approach that addresses immediate disease threats while simultaneously securing environmental stability for future generations. He joins a list of previous laureates that includes Bill and Melinda Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Michael J. Fox. Kenneth C. Frazier, co-chair of the Prix Galien USA committees, credited Kerry with fundamentally reshaping international diplomacy to better protect human life and advance health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
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