The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) has honored Henrietta Lacks for her world-changing legacy through her cancer cells that brought life to the first line of immortal cells.
Virginia native Henrietta Lacks sought treatment in Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951, and researchers took biopsies from her body without her consent and knowledge. Her cells, now known as HeLa cells, have become the first "immortal" cell line and have laid the foundation of many scientific breakthroughs throughout the history of medicine, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, polio vaccine, cancer, and COVID-19 research.
WHO Bestows Posthumous Award to Henrietta Lacks
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has bestowed a posthumous award to Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her world-changing legacy. According to the health organization's news release, this award seeks to heal a historical wrong done on Lacks.
The report says that the global scientific community once hid Lacks' race and her real story. But as Dr. Tedros said, honoring Lacks also means that WHO acknowledges the importance of evaluating past scientific injustices and advancing racial equity in the field of science and health.
More so, it is an opportunity to honor the contribution of women, particularly women of color, and recognize them for making incredible but often unseen contributions to medical science.
Mrs. Lacks' 87-year-old son, Lawrence Lacks, received the award at the WHO office in Geneva as one of her last living relatives who personally knew her. He was accompanied by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Henrietta Lacks as well as other family members.
Lawrence said in his speech that finally, his mother's contributions that were once hidden are now being rightfully honored for their global impact. He added that his mother was always giving back to her community and helping others live better lives.
"In death, she continues to help the world. Her legacy lives on in us and we thank you for saying her name - Henrietta Lacks," he said.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Lacks died of cervical cancer on October 4, 1951, when she was only 31 years old. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital have taken tissue from her cancer cells that surprisingly lived and cloned ever since. These HeLa cells have become the cornerstone of modern medicine.
Tedros said that Henrietta Lacks was only one of many women of color that have been exploited and whose bodies were misused by science. She trusted the medical system, but in return, it took something from her without her knowledge and consent. Sadly, the medical technologies developed from HeLa cells further perpetuate injustice because they have not been shared equitably worldwide.
HeLa cell line is a scientific breakthrough that laid the foundation for developing many vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine that can eliminate cancer that took Henrietta's life. WHO said that less than 25% of the world's low-income countries and 30% of the lower-income countries had access to HPV vaccines through national immunization programs, compared to the 85% of high-income countries.
The health organization added that more than 55 million tons of HeLa cells have been distributed worldwide and were used in over 75,000 studies.
RELATED ARTICLE : Descendants of Henrietta Lacks Sued Biotechnology Company for Using HeLa Cells Without Consent
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