E-DRUG: Vale Helen Tata
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Dear E-Druggers,
I am sad to share the news of the passing of an unsung hero of the Essential Drugs movement, Helen Tata. I first met Helen in 2003 when I joined WHO Essential Medicines programme. I discovered that she was responsible for supporting National Programme Officers in multiple African, Asian and Caribbean countries in a European Community supported project. These NPO's (sometimes called National Pharmaceutical Officers) were nationals of the country they were in and worked out of the WHO Country offices supporting all sorts of essential Medicines activities. These activities included updating Essential Medicines Lists and Standard treatment Guidelines, undertaking Pharmaceutical Country profiles, doing price and availability surveys and working to improve Rational Use. I knew nothing about this programme before I joined WHO and was so impressed with the broad range of activities being undertaken that made a difference at country level.
Helen was a mother and a grandmother to her family but she was also a "guardian angel" to all of the NPOs she supported. Every year or two there was a week-long meeting in Geneva of NPOs and regional essential medicine advisers that I was able to attend. These were great meetings as I was able to learn so much from the successes and new ideas shared by the NPO's. And Helen made it all happen!
Helen was also active working with organizations such as the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network attending their biennial meetings and supporting projects like the Minilab.
She was a really good person who lived to work to make the world a better place. I will miss her!
Here is the announcement from WHO HQ in Geneva.
It is with profound sadness that I am announcing the passing away of our retired colleague, Mrs. Helen Tata who died on 22ND March 2021 in her home country of Cameroon. She was 70 years old. What makes this even more tragic is that Mrs. Tata died just 4 days after losing her husband Dr Thomas Tata, to COVID-19.
Mrs. Tata joined the WHO's Essential Medicines Program here in HQ from 2001 until 2012. Mrs. Tata had a progressive career reflecting a relentless pursuit for health equity through hard work, dedication and commitment during her time in WHO HQ, until her retirement.
As we continue our battle on COVID-19 and work to avail essential medicines, including COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries, let us remember our dear colleague and her husband and the millions of people who have died since the beginning of the pandemic. Her former colleagues remember her as a devoted and kind person, who contributed to saving lives and advancing health for all throughout her career as a pharmacist.
Mrs. Tata and her husband leave behind 5 children and 10 grandchildren.
Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with her family, friends and colleagues.
Richard
Richard Laing
Retired Professor, Department of Global Health
Boston University School of Public Health,
E mail richardl@bu.edu