As many of you know, Dr. Allan Rosenfield passed away last week. As the former dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a pioneer in the field of maternal health, family planning, and HIV/AIDS, his death is being mourned by those who knew him and knew his work.
Allan Rosenfield cared deeply and passionately about equity and equality for women, starting with their basic reproductive choices and proceeding through their medical care. He was uniquely able to look at the issues from different perspectives: as a clinician, providing individualized, compassionate care; as a public health professional, pushing for the systemic changes needed to help the millions of women at risk of unwanted or unsafe pregnancy; and as an advocate, speaking with conviction, clarity, and authority. His contributions were invaluable in raising awareness of maternal mortality as a global health problem, and promoting effective strategies to address it. For Allan, the professional was personal, in the most positive sense: his commitment to the cause inspired hundreds, shamed others, and profoundly changed the world.
- Ann Starrs, President of Family Care International
- Jill Sheffield, President Emeritus and Senior Advisor to FCI
To read more tributes to Dr. Allan Rosenfield, check out the RH Reality Check blog, the Global Heath Progress blog, and the Columbia blog.
