The philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as five researchers, have won prestigious Lasker Awards for their contributions to medicine.
The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation announced the recipients of the USD 250,000 prizes today.
The Gateses were honoured for their work on health problems around the world. The foundation said they have improved the lives of millions of impoverished people through leadership and donations of more than USD 26 billion.
The other Lasker awards went to a pair of scientists who discovered details of how brain cells communicate, and three researchers who developed the modern cochlear implant, a device that lets deaf people hear.
