Revered around the world as a moral voice on issues of inequality, poverty and corruption, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu will speak in London May 22 when the Nobel Prize winner takes the stage at the Signature Speaker Series, hosted by St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation.
Tutu, a tireless campaigner for health and human rights, will speak about the responsibility we all have to care for one another, and will shed light on issues related to HIV/AIDS.
“As leaders in AIDS and other research that helps people live healthier lives, St. Joseph’s is honoured to bring Archbishop Tutu and his important message to the region,” says Michelle Campbell, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. “The opportunity for Londoners to see and hear this global and historical figure right in our community is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
St. Joseph’s Health Care is actively involved in the battle against HIV/AIDS – both at home and in Africa — with an infectious diseases care program that treats people with AIDS from across Southwestern Ontario.
At the speaker announcement, St. Joseph’s highlighted the work of Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor and Lawson Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Gregor Reid, who is noted for his Western Heads East work using yogurt-based probiotics to improve the immune systems of people living with AIDS.
Recently, The University of Western Ontario was selected as one of four Canadian centres in the running for an $88-million HIV/AIDS vaccine production facility.