The awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 21 at 20:00 in Ankara, with Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante serving as a distinctive backdrop for the evening. Thirty attendees will participate, as Paris Rotary Club marks its 101st anniversary on the same date, highlighting ongoing joint initiatives with the Alicante Club.
Juan Soler, president of the Rotary Club of Alicante, together with Jorge Alio and Sanz, Professor of Ophthalmology at UMH and founder of Vissum Miranza Alicante; Jose Miguel Sempere, Professor of Immunology at UA and member of the Spanish Society of Immunology; Carolina Vanhoutte from the XIII Balmis Award organizing committee; Abelardo Barranco, Master Cutter at the Rotary Club of Alicante; and Maria Lopez Iglesias, chair of the Jorge Alió Foundation, announced the award decision this morning at the headquarters of the State Journalists Association in Alicante.
A tribute to Alicante physician Francisco Javier de Balmis honors the award’s strong ties to solidarity and its relevance to the Alicante community. The aim is to raise awareness about the crucial role of vaccines and immunization in public health.
Orbit
Elia Torroella Busquets earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Barcelona and brings more than 25 years of expertise to the health sector, with a focus on prevention and vaccines. He serves as the director of Research & Development and Regulatory Affairs at Hipra.
His team leads the development, registration, and regulatory oversight of innovative vaccines. Over the past decade, they have introduced 22 new vaccines. One of their current flagship projects is the ongoing research and development of a Covid-19 vaccine for Spain.
Elia Torroella, Hipra and the Spanish vaccine’s hope against Covid-19
Hipra has delivered the first Spanish vaccine to offer meaningful clinical, immunological, and practical advantages in the fight against Covid-19, marking a potential international milestone in vaccination. Hipra ranks sixth globally in animal health vaccine production. The company operates with 40 subsidiaries, 11 diagnostic centers, and six production facilities.
Balmis Award
The Balmis Award, established in 2009, recognizes notable figures in disease prevention and treatment, as well as leaders in international development cooperation. The award pays tribute to doctor Francis Xavier Balmis, who led the Royal Benevolent Expedition of Smallpox Vaccine, traveling across the world between 1803 and 1806 to bring vaccination to overseas territories of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas, the Philippines, and Macao. The expedition is often cited as the first major international health cooperation effort by Spain.
Subsequent decades witnessed pivotal steps toward global smallpox eradication, culminating in a landmark achievement in 1980. The Balmis Award has been presented continuously since its inception. Past winners include the following individuals:
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2009: Jose Navarro Alonso.
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2010: Jose Martin Moreno.
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2011: Jesus Aranaz Andres.
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2012: Pedro C. Cavadas Rodriguez.
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2013: Jose V. Tuells Hernandez.
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2014: Diego Torrus Store Owner.
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2015: Alfonso Puchades Avg.
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2016: Francisco J. Martinez Mojica.
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2017: Maria A. Blasco Marhuenda.
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2018: Pedro Alonso Fernandez.
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2019: Javier Aristegui Fernandez.
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2020: Denis Mukwege.
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2021: Elia Torroella Busquets.
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