The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Italian Embassy in Viet Nam are hosting an event to commemorate the work of Dr Carlo Urbani, a decade after an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) took his life.
Dr Carlo Urbani was an Italian citizen and a public health specialist working at the WHO office in Viet Nam. In February 2003, Dr Urbani attended a Chinese-American business man who was admitted to the French Hospital in Hanoi with a severe respiratory illness. Dr Urbani was the first person to recognize that this was a new and strange disease that would later become known as SARS. The patient infected dozens of healthcare workers, including the WHO physician, Dr Carlo Urbani. Sadly, one month later, Dr Carlo Urbani died of SARS on 29 March, 2003.
Throughout his years working with WHO Viet Nam, Dr Urbani was a caring, compassionate individual who worked hard to ensure that vulnerable populations had access to basic health services. He worked tirelessly and travelled to hard-to-reach areas to better understand the health care needs of some of the poorest populations in Viet Nam.
“Dr Urbani is remembered and revered by many staff members“, said Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Representative. “He worked with a deep sense of humanity and in the office he was a mentor and friend to his colleagues. He will always be remembered for the sacrifices he made to help others.”
The commemorating event is co-hosted by the Italian Embassy and WHO in Viet Nam with support from the Ministry of Health. The event will provide a retrospective of the life and work of Dr Urbani during his time in Viet Nam from those who worked closely
with him. The event will also highlight the impact that SARS had on global health and the lessons learned that better prepare the world for future outbreaks.