Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of Carlo Urbani, the doctor from the Marches in service to the World Health Organization (WHO) who was among the first to realize the appearance of the Sars virus in 2003 and died of the infection in an effort to contain its spread. The World Health Organization today commemorates him on its website, recalling his commitment. “At the end of February 2003, Carlo was asked to visit the first Sars patient identified in Vietnam, who had been hospitalized in the French hospital in Hanoi”, reconstructs the WHO.
“There, he immediately recognized the potential threat posed by the highly transmissible, lethal and at the time unknown respiratory infection. As a result, he worked tirelessly to convince local health authorities of the need for exceptional safety measures, including the isolation of suspected cases, the use of protective measures by medical personnel, the screening of travelers and the restriction of international travel”, continues WHO. It was also thanks to these measures, later extended to neighboring countries that the epidemic was stemmed.
“Carlo Urbani embodied the ideals of public service. His early and passionate warnings about SARS saved countless lives and it is right that we recognize and remember his sacrifice, just as it is right that we show gratitude and respect for the courage and commitment of all public health workers risking their lives for the sake of our global family,” said Ibrahima Socé Fall, head of WHO’s Global Program for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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