Dr Philippe Ranque
In memoriam, Dr Philippe Ranque
Professor Philippe Ranque passed away on Thursday, November 23, 2006. Philippe came from a family of parasitologists since his father and his grandfather were both professors of parasitology at the Faculty of medicine of Marseilles, France. Philippe also started his academic career in Marseilles then moved to the school of medicine of the Point G in Bamako, Mali where he taught a generation of parasitologists who feel orphaned today. The quality and the humanism of his teaching brought him great respect in the medico-scientific community.
It is with a pioneering spirit in tropical medicine that Philippe carried out the field evaluation of the efficacy of ivermectin in people heavily infected with Onchocerca volvulus. Subsequently, he joined the World Health Organization at its headquarters in Geneva as Chief of the Filariasis Unit. Thereafter, he devoted his work to the eradication of dracunculiasis. With his scientific expertise, his experience in the field and his knowledge of Africa, he initiated a remarkable programme which will mark, in the near future, the history of tropical medicine: dracunculiasis may well be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated.
Philippe was married and the father of two sons, one of whom perpetuates the family tradition by teaching parasitology in Marseilles. Our thoughts are with his wife Juta and his children to whom we can only offer our moral support in testimony of our deep friendship for Philippe and in memory of his contribution to the improvement of the health of underprivileged populations of the world.
Dr Marc Karam