Salim Abdool Karim

Salim S. Abdool Karim

Salim S. Abdool Karim is a South African clinical infectious-diseases epidemiologist, Director and Co-Founder of CAPRISA, and global-health professor known for research on HIV prevention and treatment, tuberculosis-HIV coinfection, and infectious diseases. His public roles have included advising the World Health Organization and Africa CDC and co-chairing South Africa's Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19.

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About Salim Abdool Karim

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

South Africa · Clinical infectious-diseases epidemiologist, Global health professor · 3 affiliations

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Known for: HIV prevention and treatment research; Tuberculosis-HIV coinfection and infectious-disease epidemiology; Public-health emergency scientific advice
Country: South Africa

Clinical infectious-diseases epidemiologist
Global health professor

At a glance

He is Director and Co-Founder of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa.
He was a co-principal investigator of the CAPRISA 004 trial, whose 2010 publication reported lower HIV incidence among women using 1% tenofovir vaginal gel than among those receiving placebo.
His emergency-response roles have included co-chairing South Africa's Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and chairing an Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group documented in May 2026.
He and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the 2024 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award for contributions to HIV research, policy, and advocacy.

Research and academic leadership

Abdool Karim is a clinical infectious-diseases epidemiologist whose work covers HIV prevention and treatment, tuberculosis-HIV coinfection, and infectious diseases. He serves as Director and Co-Founder of CAPRISA, as CAPRISA Professor of Global Health in Columbia University's Department of Epidemiology, and as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Contribution to HIV prevention

A central part of Abdool Karim's research record is the CAPRISA 004 randomized trial of 1% tenofovir vaginal gel among HIV-uninfected women in KwaZulu-Natal. He was a co-author and co-principal investigator, and the 2010 publication reported lower HIV incidence in the tenofovir-gel group than in the placebo group, with an incidence-rate ratio of 0.61.

Public-health advisory roles

Abdool Karim co-chaired South Africa's national Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19. A WHO biography published in 2023 identified him as Special Advisor on pandemics to the WHO Director-General, while CAPRISA and Columbia describe his WHO service in differing terms. Africa CDC identified him as Chair of its Emergency Consultative Group in a May 2026 Ebola-response statement, although the reviewed material does not establish the group's appointment term or confirm his status beyond that date.

Training and recognition

Abdool Karim received an MBChB from the University of Natal in 1983, an MS from Columbia University in 1988, and a PhD from the University of Natal in 1999. In 2024, he and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award for work on heterosexual HIV transmission, prevention and treatment approaches, and public-health policy and advocacy.

Affiliations

Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) Director and Co-Founder present
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health CAPRISA Professor of Global Health, Department of Epidemiology present
University of KwaZulu-Natal Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) present

Timeline

1983 Received an MBChB degree from the University of Natal.
1988 Received an MS degree from Columbia University.
1999 Received a PhD from the University of Natal.
2002 CAPRISA was established; the Lasker Foundation credits Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim with its establishment and leadership.
2010-09-03 CAPRISA 004 trial findings on tenofovir gel for HIV prevention in women were published.
2020-09-28 South Africa's Department of Health listed Abdool Karim as co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19.
2024 Jointly received the Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award with Quarraisha Abdool Karim.

Additional verified details

Current context

Africa CDC's May 2026 Ebola-response statement referred to Abdool Karim as Chair of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group and requested that he convene the group for technical guidance. This supports the role as of May 2026 but does not independently establish his status on 22 August 2026.
CAPRISA and Columbia profiles describe Abdool Karim's WHO advisory service using different formulations: CAPRISA says he has served as Special Advisor on pandemics to the WHO Director-General, while Columbia lists him as chair of the WHO HIV and Hepatitis Scientific and Technical Advisory Group and as a member of the WHO HIV-TB Task Force. A current WHO source directly confirming his exact present appointment was not located.

Biographical facts

A World Health Organization biography published on 19 August 2023 identified Abdool Karim as Special Advisor on pandemics to the WHO Director-General.
He was a co-author and co-principal investigator in the CAPRISA 004 randomized trial of 1% tenofovir vaginal gel among HIV-uninfected women in KwaZulu-Natal.
The CAPRISA 004 publication reported an HIV-incidence rate ratio of 0.61 for the tenofovir-gel group compared with the placebo group.
During South Africa's COVID-19 response, he served as co-chair of the national Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19.
He and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the 2024 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award for work on heterosexual HIV transmission, HIV prevention and treatment approaches, and public-health policy and advocacy.