The South African medical fraternity is mourning the death of Professor Hoosen Jerry Coovadia, the renowned academic and anti-apartheid activist who died at his home on Wednesday this week, aged 83.
Coovadia became world-renowned for his ground-breaking research on the mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids, reports The Witness.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal, where Coovadia was an emeritus professor, has expressed its condolences, with Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head College of Health Sciences Professor Busisiwe Ncama saying he had made numerous contributions to global health policies.
“Prof Coovadia was internationally renowned for his research in HIV/Aids transmission from mother to child, especially through breastfeeding,” she said. “And of course, he was also a stalwart in the fight against injustices in South Africa and abroad.”
She added that Coovadia was “well known for incurring the wrath of Thabo Mbeki’s government by insisting on scientific integrity and campaigning for the rollout of antiretroviral therapy… he has nurtured a generation of medical students with his prolific research”.
Coovadia was born in Durban in 1940 and studied at the then University of Natal, now the University of KwaZulu-Natal, before he went to India to complete his medical studies.
The National Planning Commission lists his credentials as scientific director at the Doris Duke Medical Research Centre at UKZN, as well as director of BioMed HIV/Aids Research, Centre for HIV/Aids Networking (HIVAN) and Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at UKZN.
He was also the International Vice-Chair of the Paediatric Aids Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT), the Deputy Chair of Transitional National Development Trust, co-chair of the Advisory Board to the Artists for a New South Africa’s Amandla Aids Fund, and founder member of the South African Academy of Science.
Coovadia held an honorary doctorate of Science Degree (University of Durban-Westville), MD (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Master of Science (University of Birmingham), FCP (College of Medicine of South Africa) and a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (University of Bombay).
He published papers on the basic science and pathogenesis, clinical management, epidemiology, prevention, and contextual factors causing morbidity, disability and mortality among Africa’s children.
A number of awards were bestowed upon Coovadia, including the Silver Medal for Excellence in Research (Medical Research Council), the Star of South Africa for Contributions to Democracy & Health (President Nelson Mandela) and Lifetime Achievement Award (HIV Congress-India).
The Witness article – Professor Jerry Coovadia dies at age 83 (Open access)
National Planning Commission article – Prof Hoosen Mohammed (Jerry) Coovadia (Open access)