E-DRUG: In Memoriam Ernst Lauridsen
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Dear e-druggers,
We have just received a message that Dr Ernst Lauridsen passed away in the night of 2 April. Ernst was the first director of the 'real' WHO Drug Action Programme (DAP) in Geneva, which was established in 1982 after two earlier attempts had failed due to widespread political and industry opposition.
In the face of these two failures, this was the only time that Danish WHO Director-General Halfdan Mahler, who was strongly opposed to all forms of nepotism, appointed a fellow-Dane as a Director. Ernst started the new DAP with a small number of colleagues, among whom were Margaretha Helling-Borda, Ramona Lunt, Gerald Moore and Fernando Antezana, and his personal assistant Sandra Doyle. Very soon Pascale Brudon and Daphne Fresle joined, with young professionals such as Hanna Bak-Pedersen, Birna Trap, Kees de Jongheere, Marthe Everard, Peter Graaff and myself posted in various (sub)regional and country offices.
Early activities focused on ration-kit based supply systems in Kenya and Tanzania, and country programmes in Sudan, Yemen, Ecuador, Bolivia and Guinea.
Early global documents were Estimating Drug Requirements, Ethical Criteria for Pharmaceutical Promotion, Guidelines for National Drug Policies, the New Emergency Health Kit, and Guidelines for Drug Donations. With intensive political support by Dr Mahler and his policy adviser, Dr Cohen, the 1985 Nairobi Conference on the Rational Use of Drugs was held alongside global disagreement with the pharmaceutical industry and the USA, which paved the way for the further acceptance and expanse of WHO's essential medicines programme.
Ernst was an inspiring leader with a strong passion for the poor (after his earlier work in Afghanistan and Ethiopia), a clear vision about the direction of the programme, and a healthy dislike of unnecessary bureaucracy. To ensure that this programme would not again fail, DAP was made part of the Director-General's office. When Dr Mahler was succeeded by Dr Nakajima in early 1988, Ernst's position become untenable and he decided to leave.
The next decade under Nakajima was a time of great political difficulties for DAP and it was ultimately saved largely due to the solid basis laid by Ernst, and the strong and continued political pressure from its UK, Scandinavian and Netherlands donors. Ernst continued to work for the World Bank and many other development agencies. His last public appearance was at WHO in 2011, at the celebration of 30 years of essential medicines, in the presence of Dr Mahler and most of his colleagues from the early days.
Maybe other e-druggers would like to write a small tribute as well?
With best regards,
Hans V Hogerzeil, MD, PhD, FRCP
Van Cuycklaan 16
2343 AJ Oegstgeest
The Netherlands
mob +31-6-57414530
hans.hogerzeil@kpnmail.nl