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.
