Clare Hanbury

A Tribute to Professor David Morley from the Wonderful Michael Meegan

Michael Meegan, the International Director of ICROSS and New World International, has been a lifelong friend and colleague of David Morley's. Six years ago he shared David’s special address to mark his 80th birthday. In May, and only weeks before he died, they were developing new improved designs for their fly traps for the reduction of trachoma.

I contacted Mike yesterday to share both our sadness and wonderful memories of David. He sent this tribute which I wanted to share with you...

David Morley was one of the most influential figures in International Health for  decades. His pioneering work has changed the landscape of primary health care and Maternal Child Health. Writing of David in ALL WILL BE WELL, I described him as,"Gentle and passionate." His starting point was always, “How can I help?”  He moved mountains to provide support, he was selfless and utterly driven by a desire to improve health care for mothers and children.  

The ICROSS projects that have served communities for decades were built firmly on the ground of David Morley’s wisdom and experience. In our work on child survival and growth monitoring we advocated our passion to put the mother at the center of their child's health and giving her the ownership.

David was the first Professor of Tropical Child Health and one of the architects of  grassroots community based health care. His close involvement over the decades in ICROSS was a continued source of  wisdom and quiet determination. His work  lives on in all of our health projects, not least in his many innovations and inventions. We shall miss him greatly.

Michael and I are talking about a practical project we will launch in the memory of our dear friend.

Be reminded of the very practical ways in which David's work has informed my own work in this previous post on Global Child Health Priorities

Professor David Morley: A Great Life

The news of David's death hit me hard today. He was 86 and his was a great life that has inspired my path and will continue to do so until it's my turn to go.

In the words of a colleague, Tony Costelloe, here are some thoughts about why he was so special...

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death on 2 July of Professor David Morley.

It is impossible to pay full tribute to David’s influence and achievements: a pioneer in under-five epidemiology, in applying the principles of primary care to mothers and children, in respecting the role of mothers as primary providers, in describing growth problems and growth monitoring in developing countries, in driving forward the key components of the child survival revolution led by UNICEF, James Grant and Jon Rohde, in setting up the breastfeeding policy and practice course with Felicity Savage King and colleagues at the UCL Institute for Child Health, in establishing diploma and masters courses in tropical child health with Zef Ebrahim and Hermione Lovel, doing the same for disability with Pam Zinkin, developing the brilliant concept of Teaching Aids at Low Cost, establishing Child-to-Child, in inspiring a whole generation of paediatricians, public health doctors, nutritionists, nurses, administrators, teachers, journalists and managers, and in developing simple aids to promote child care in the poorest communities.

David received the CBE and the James Spence medal of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, but his real reward is the affection in which he was held by countless primary care workers around the world, and the millions of adults today who, without knowing it, owe their lives to his work.

David was also warm, friendly, funny, a shrewd and irrepressible advocate, and always encouraging. We shall miss him greatly.

And here a link to the fullest description of his life and work I have found to date on the the site of one of the amazing organisations he founded Teaching-aids At Low Cost.

I am working on hard on my web-based child health campaign over the summer and dedicate my efforts to his memory. It was an honour to call him my friend.

What A Wonderful World

Newsletter Issue 3

The Newsletter
from the desk of Clare Hanbury

Issue 3
JULY 2009

Here is an update from the desk of Clare Hanbury to summarise the key events of May and June 2009. I am sending it to all those who have signed up on my blog or websites: www.lifeskillshandbooks.com, www.youngsolutionsinternational.com and www.clarehanbury.com

A general note that in the last 6 weeks there have been high highs and low lows. High highs included a speaking gig in Denmark and low lows included a wretched flu bug that took 6 weeks to clear and that my 6 year old son was hit by a cyclist and broke both bones in his right lower leg. He’s in a full cast now and it’s a long slow recovery process but he’ll be OK. So there have been moments since my last newsletter when work and blogging in particular has taken a back seat. But back in the saddle now and hoping for a summer full of networking and news from you all!

Summary
In this e-newsletter I describe:

1.    Work completed

• Children’s Participation in Health: teaching medical students on the International Public Health course at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK
• The Role of Children and Young People in Development, a presentation at DANIDA in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Coaching
• Child Labour: a 30-minute assembly at my children’s school

2.    Work in progress

• Young Action for Health
• Young Solutions International Handbook second edition
• The Tricycle System

3. Special thanks to

Evelyn Brealey, Adam Fletcher, Jo Manchester and to the ten people who have been coaching clients...

To read the complete newsletter click here