Masa Narita, MD, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health at the University of Washington School of Public Health, received the Noreen Harris Award for Excellence in Public Health Epidemiology for his work in tuberculosis (TB) surveillance and epidemiology. The award is presented annually by Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Dr. Narita is the TB disease control officer for King County in Washington state, and he has been at the helm of the Tuberculosis Control Program (TBCP) at Public Health – Seattle & King County for 12 years.
Dr. Narita’s work on a local level has helped to improve public health programs and TB policy development. He has also established highly-organized response systems to efficiently handle TB outbreaks. He collaborates with external stakeholders and national leaders to develop strategies in epidemiologic studies, policy, and guidelines to control and ultimately eliminate TB.
Under Dr. Narita’s leadership, King County’s multiple TB outbreaks (the largest among the homeless) have been well controlled or eliminated, and the TB case rates in King County declined to an all-time low. Dr. Narita says, “I am very fortunate to work with many talented people who are dedicated to public health. TB is a challenging disease that affects the most vulnerable populations in our society. Our success in TB control in King County has only been made possible because of the collective efforts of our public health staff and community partners. I am deeply humbled to receive such recognition for our work on TB.”