By Charmaine Ndlela

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has been placed on the global scientific stage after Professor Liesl Zühlke was named the 2026 laureate for Africa and the Arab States in the prestigious UNESCO-Foundation L’Oréal For Women in Science International Awards.

Zühlke was recognised for her ground-breaking research aimed at improving care for children living with cardiovascular disease, particularly rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a preventable illness that continues to disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable communities.

She is one of only five global laureates selected from a record 504 nominations across 89 countries and will receive the award at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 11 June.

For Zühlke, who is a clinician-scientist and vice-president of the South African Medical Research Council, the recognition is both personal and symbolic for African science.

“I am deeply humbled by this award,” she said.

“To me, personally, it is an affirmation that our work – to conduct, support, advance and empower children’s heart disease research in Africa – has been recognised and has made a meaningful impact.”

She said she hoped the award would place greater focus on African women in science and inspire young researchers across the continent.

“I hope this recognition will draw greater attention to the contributions of African women scientists and underscore the importance of women in science. Above all, I hope it inspires those embarking on a career in science to see that it is possible to pursue this path in a way that is authentic, compassionate and deeply fulfilling.”

For decades, Zühlke’s work has challenged the global understanding of rheumatic heart disease, arguing that it is not merely a medical condition but one deeply tied to poverty and inequality.

“Rheumatic heart disease is, at its core, a disease of poverty, inequity and injustice,” she said.

“It has been eradicated in high-income countries, yet it remains 100% preventable.”

She highlighted the harsh realities faced by many African patients, including painful long-term injections and limited access to life-saving surgery.

Despite her international acclaim, Zühlke said it is the stories of patients she has treated over the years that continue to drive her work.

“So many of my patients stay with me – their faces, their stories and the lessons I have learnt along the way,” she said.

The award also recognised Zühlke’s commitment to mentorship, leadership and scientific capacity-building across Africa.

She described UCT as both her academic home and a place closely connected to her personal journey.

“I completed my undergraduate degree in medicine, my MPH and my PhD here,” she said.

“As a child walking in Mowbray, I would look up to the university and dream of the opportunity to study there, so it holds deep personal meaning for me.”

Part of her doctoral research was conducted in Langa and Bonteheuwel, communities close to where she grew up, helping ground her work in the lived realities of families most affected by cardiovascular disease.

Zühlke credited UCT and its network of researchers and clinicians for supporting the globally recognised work that ultimately led to the award.

“The support and academic home that UCT has provided has been invaluable,” she said.

“The Children’s Heart Disease Research Unit members, past and present, as well as colleagues in the Departments of Paediatrics, Paediatric Cardiology, Cardiology and Medicine, have my particular thanks and appreciation.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

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