The Kenneth Warren Prize

Kenneth Warren
Kenneth Warren, MD

Kenneth Warren (1929-1996) was a larger-than-life person who was a source of encouragement and support for many young people, particularly those living in developing countries. He was very influential in drawing attention to the 'great neglected diseases' that plague people in the poorer parts of the world. He was one of the first people to draw attention to the need for valid summaries of key research studies and to the way that electronic media could be used to disseminate the results of health research relevant to people in developing countries. Ken was an enthusiastic supporter of the pilot work in pregnancy and childbirth that led to Cochrane's creation, and, with Fred Mosteller, he co-organised the meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences at which the vision for Cochrane was first made public.

The Kenneth Warren Prize

The Kenneth Warren Prize has been established with individual and institutional donations (see cochrane.org for details) to celebrate and recognise Ken's interests. It was awarded for the first time at the 8th Cochrane Colloquium in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2000. The Prize is awarded annually to the principal author who is a national living in a developing country of a published Cochrane Review which is judged to be both of high methodological quality and relevant to health problems in developing countries.

The Prize for any given year is open to the principal author of a review published on the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in the Cochrane Library, in Issues 4-12 of the previous year and issues 1-3 of the current year. In response to the call for nominations, authors may self-select their review(s) based on quality and relevance, and also Cochrane Review Group editorial teams and other Cochrane members may nominate specific reviews.

The judgement is made by a panel comprised entirely of nationals of developing countries. The Prize recipient receives a certificate and US $1000. Also, the travel, accommodation and conference registration costs of the Prize recipient are met to enable attendance at Cochrane Colloquium. Prize winners will be expected to serve on the prize committee to assist selecting prize winners for subsequent years.

2024 nominations now closed


Kenneth Warren Prize recipients

2023

Rashmi Ranjan for Vitamin D as an adjunct to antibiotics for the treatment of acute childhood pneumonia 

2022

Eleanor Ochodo-Opondo for Point-of-care tests detecting HIV nucleic acids for diagnosis of HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection in infants and children aged 18 months or less

2021

Siew Cheng Foong, for Oral galactagogues (natural therapies or drugs) for increasing breast milk production in mothers of non‐hospitalised term infants

2020

Nishant Jaiswal, for Equivalent schedules of intradermal fractional dose versus Intramuscular full dose of inactivated polio vaccine for prevention of poliomyelitis

2019

No prize awarded

2018

Nai Ming Lai, for Fluid supplementation for neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia

2017

Ahizechukwu Eke, for Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin for the prevention of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus

2016

Ravindra Prabhu for Interventions for dialysis patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection

2015

Anju Sinha, Cochrane Neonatal Group, India for Chlorhexidine skin or cord care for prevention of mortality
and infections in neonates

2014 

Babalwa Zani, Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group and South African Cochrane Centre, Cape Town, South Africa. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria [abstract].

2013 

Charles Okwundu, Cochrane HIV/AIDS Group and Stellenbosch University, Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Tygerberg, South Africa. Antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for preventing HIV in high-risk individuals [abstract].

2012 

Don Mathanga, Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group and University of Malawi, Malaria Alert Center, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi. Intermittent preventive treatment regimens for malaria in HIV-positive pregnant women[abstract].

2011 

Zohra Lassi, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group and Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Community based intervention packages for reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and improving neonatal outcomes [abstract].

2010 

Prince Christopher, Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group and Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. Antibiotic therapy for Shigella dysentery [abstract].

2009 

Nandi Siegfried, South African Cochrane Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa. Male circumcision for prevention of heterosexual acquisition of HIV in men [abstract].

2008 

Martin Meremikwu, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Chemoprophylaxis and intermittent treatment for preventing malaria in children [abstract].

2007 

Gawrie Galappaththy, Ministry of Health, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Primaquine for preventing relapses in people with Plasmodium vivax malaria [abstract].

2006 

Jonathan Ipser, MRC Research Unit for Anxiety and Stress Disorders, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Pharmacotherapy for post traumatic stress disorder [abstract].

2005 

Marilla Lucero, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines. 
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for preventing vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia with consolidation on x-ray in children under two years of age. [abstract]

2004 

George Swingler, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Conjugate vaccines for preventing Haemophilus influenzae type B infections. [abstract]

2003 

Maurício Silva de Lima, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
Antidepressants for cocaine dependence. [abstract]

2002 

Prathap Tharyan, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia. [abstract]

2001 

Manit Srisurapanont, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Quetiapine for schizophrenia. [abstract]

2000 

Marissa Alejandria, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines.
Intravenous immunoglobulin for treating sepsis and septic shock. [abstract]

and 

Anelise Lima, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
Carbamazepine for cocaine dependence. [abstract]


Selection panels for Kenneth Warren Prize

2019 - Anju Pradhan, Ravindra Prabhu, Ahizechukwu Eke and Nai Ming Lai

2018 - Babalwa Zani, Anju Pradhan, Ravindra Prabhu, and Ahizechukwu Eke

2017 - Charles Okwundu, Babalwa Zani, Anju Pradhan, and Ravindra Prabhu

2016 -  Don Mathanga, Charles Okwundu, Babalwa Zani and Anju Sinha.

2015 - Zohra Lassi (chair) Don Mathanga, Charles Okwundu and Babalwa Zani.

2014 - Prince Christopher (Chair), Zohra Lassi, Don Mathanga and Charles Okwundu.

2013 - Nandi Siegfried (Chair), Prince Christopher, Zohra Lassi and Don Mathanga.

2012 - Martin Meremikwu (Chair), Nandi Siegfried, Prince Christopher and Zohra Lassi.

2011 - Gawrie Galappaththy (Chair), Martin Meremikwu, Nandi Siegfried and Prince Christopher.

2010 - Jonathan Ipser (Chair), Gawrie Galappaththy, Martin Meremikwu and Nandi Siegfried.

2009 - Marilla Lucero (Chair), Jonathan Ipser, Gawrie Galappaththy and Martin Meremikwu.

2008 - George Swingler (Chair), Marilla Lucero, Jonathan Ipser and Gawrie Galappaththy.

2007 - Prathap Tharyan (Chair), Jonathan Ipser, Marilla Lucero and George Swingler.

2006 - Prathap Tharyan (Chair), Marilla Lucero, Maurício Silva de Lima and George Swingler.

2005 - Manit Srisurapanont (Chair), Prathap Tharyan, Maurício Silva de Lima and George Swingler.

2004 - Marissa Alejandria (Chair), Maurício Silva de Lima, Manit Srisurapanont and Prathap Tharyan.

2003 - Bongani Mayosi (Chair), Marissa Alejandria, Manit Srisurapanont and Prathap Tharyan.

2002 - Metin Gülmezoglu (Chair), Marissa Alejandria, Bongani Mayosi and Manit Srisurapanont.

2001 - Karla Soares-Weiser (Chair), Marissa Alejandria, Metin Gülmezoglu and Bongani Mayosi.

2000 - Tessa Tan-Torres Edejer (Chair), Karla Soares-Weiser and Patrice Matchaba.


Donors to the Kenneth Warren Prize Fund

Individual donors:

Kenneth Warren’s Family, Cyril Akpom, Jan and Iain Chalmers, Dr and Mrs Joseph Cook, Murray and Eleanor Enkin, Phyllis Freeman and Anthony Robbins, Mr and Mrs Alfred Heggie, Adel Mahmoud, Irwin and Marion Schafer, Chris and Jane Silagy.

Institutional donors:

Current Controlled Trials LtdEugene Garfield FoundationRockefeller Foundation; The LW Frohlich Charitable Trust.

Additional donations to the Kenneth Warren Prize Fund are very welcome. Anyone wishing to consider making a donation should contact the Central Executive Team at admin@cochrane.org.