Zackie Achmat and Reed V. Tuckson Selected as Recipients for the CDC Foundation Fries Awards for Health

The CDC Foundation today announced the recipients of two esteemed awards recognizing outstanding contributions to public health and health education. This year’s James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health award recipient is Zackie Achmat, and the 2025 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award recipient is Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP. Both Achmat and Tuckson were chosen by the Fries Awards Selection Jury, a panel made up of health and public health luminaries.

The James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health recognizes an outstanding leader who has done the most to improve health for the greatest number of people. Achmat, a South African activist, is honored for his groundbreaking work in increasing access to life-saving therapies for people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. His efforts have led to millions of lives saved and substantial increases in life expectancy.

The Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award recognizes a distinguished leader who makes significant contributions to health education and health promotion through program development or delivery, policy, advocacy or research. Tuckson is recognized for his substantial contribution to advancing health education and for innovative utilization of telehealth and remote tools to enhance local and national community engagement, making health education more accessible for all Americans.

“Both Zackie Achmat and Reed Tuckson exemplify the spirit of the Fries Awards through their transformative work in public health,” said Martha Katz, MPA, board chair of the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation. “Achmat’s tireless advocacy has reshaped the landscape of HIV/AIDS treatment globally, while Tuckson's innovations in health education and communication have expanded access to critical health information across the United States. Their contributions have saved and improved countless lives."

In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Achmat co-founded the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in 1998. TAC led a robust effort to guarantee that all South Africans in need, regardless of their financial situation, could have anti-retroviral drugs. His leadership has changed South Africa's strategy for treating HIV/AIDS. Remarkably, more South Africans are now receiving treatment than ever before, despite the country once having one of the highest rates of HIV infections worldwide.

Tuckson is a well-known health advocate, connector and educator with an emphasis on tactics to enhance the health of diverse populations and provide people with the ability to make educated health decisions. His commitment to utilizing remote technology to creatively unite and leverage health expertise in collaboration with the assets of local and national community organizations has established him as a voice for the promotion of health for all and the improvement of health care delivery, access and education.

Achmat will be honored with the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health award and receive a monetary award of $100,000 at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) annual meeting taking place in Minneapolis October 27–30, 2024. Tuckson will be honored with the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award and receive a monetary award of $50,000 at the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) taking place in Long Beach, CA, April 16–18, 2025.

The James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation is a nonprofit corporation incorporated in 1991. The mission of the foundation is to identify and honor individuals, organizations or institutions that have made great contributions to the health of the public. The foundation seeks to reward accomplishment rather than promise, practicality rather than theory.

The CDC Foundation is honored to partner with the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation, which established and funds the award. The CDC Foundation manages and administers the Fries Foundation’s public health award programs, which include the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award.