Obituary

David Egilman

1952-2024

David Egilman, an eminent Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at Brown University (USA), champion of public health and social justice, and a staunch advocate of Women and Health Together for the Future (WHTF), died on April 2, 2024.

David will be remembered as a philanthropist who selflessly championed the underprivileged whether education, healthcare, women’s health or environmental causes. He was the founder of Global Health through Education, Training, and Service (GHETS), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health in underserved communities with special concerns for women’s health and ageing population worldwide.

David was well known for his work on occupational health and public health, The New York Times reported that he testified as an expert witness in over 600 trials involving corporate malfeasance, winning billions of dollars for victims.

In addition, David championed the cause of transforming education of health professional students towards community-oriented primary care (COPC). He was convinced that student experiences in disadvantaged communities would inspire graduating physicians and nurses to serve these very communities later in their career. David participated in TUFH (Towards Unity for Health) international conferences to learn from the global academicians, students and organizations about their invaluable community experiences in order to benefit schools worldwide.

For Women and Health Together for Future (WHTF), David’s demise is an irreparable loss. Beginning in 2002, David reached out to advance WHTF’s diverse global women’s representatives to support initiatives of locally-driven projects in women's and community health in low and middle income countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. GHETS provided WHTF with funding for travel grants to WHTF members for conference participation, awarding mini grants to faculty and students for projects in their underserved communities, organizing activities, and supporting administrative work. GHETS funding helped WHTF members showcase university and locally driven projects in women’s and community heath in international forums. David also held fund raising events in USA to ensure the accomplishment of WHTF members’ outstanding work in local communities aimed at uplifting women’s health in difficult circumstances. GHETS financial support continued until late 2023. David’s last formal engagement with WHTF was as Chief Guest at the webinar March 8, 2023 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

David was a passionate and unconventional activist who was outspoken when he sensed social injustices or exploitation of the poor and weak at the hands of strong and powerful organizations. His style reflected his more than thirty-five years of court room experiences confronting corporations for compensation to those vulnerable groups who suffered at the hands of makers of dangerous drugs and chemicals and asbestos products. This combativeness provided cover for a man with a very big and compassionate heart.

David longstanding association with the WHTF envisioned his trust and commitment to changing lives of impoverished communities around the globe and to create opportunities for the next generation of the health workforce and social activists to take the leap forward towards a just society.

In this moment of grief, we express our profound condolences to Helene and family as well as all of his friends and colleagues.

Nighat Huda and Judy Lewis, WHTF founders and board chairs

Also see: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/health/david-egilman-dead.html