Dr. Ivan Toms (1953-2008)
We publish an obituary from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) on Dr. Ivan Toms
- Peoples’ Doctor, Apartheid War Resister, Gay Activist, Public Health Official
and PLWHA Friend
 |
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) mourns the premature and sudden death of Dr. Ivan Toms, the head of City Health in the Cape Town Metro. Ivan was known to many TAC leaders since the early 1980s. We remember Ivan as a friend, comrade, gay activist and public health official.
Ivan Toms was a courageous doctor at the SACLA Clinic in Crossroads who resisted forced removals, military incursions and pass law enforcement in townships. |
|
| Dr Ivan Toms (1953-2008) ,
who died of meningococcal meningitis. Photo:andrejkoymasky.com/ liv/fam/biot2/toms1.html |
He became a conscientious objector in the Conscientious Objector Support Group and the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) who served time in prison for refusing to serve in the apartheid army. He was also a doctor who volunteered his time for the free clinic run by the Bellville Community Health Projects in the 1980s.
Ivan was as a leader in OLGA, the Organisation of Lesbian and Gay Activists - an affiliate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). He was a founder of the Progressive Primary Healthcare Network. Ivan was also a pioneer of HIV prevention work.
Recently, as head of City Health in the Cape Town Metro, Ivan regularly attended TAC Western Cape planning meetings and through Dr. Virginia Azevedo developed a partnership with TAC’s model district in Khayelitsha.
Key to joint work between City Health and TAC Khayelitsha is HIV prevention work with the distribution of more than 9 million condoms in the community in 2007. Joint work by TAC, City Health, the Provincial Health Department, MSF and others as partners on TB increased the cure rate from 53% to 68%. City Health also increased the number of antiretroviral roll-out sites.
Fredalene Booysen (TAC Western Cape Co-ordinator) said: “The death of Dr. Toms has saddened all of us. TAC will ensure that he is remembered through the prevention of HIV and TB infections, treating both illnesses, improving maternal and child health, and building a quality public health system.”
Mandla Majola (TAC Khayelitsha) said: “Ivan Toms will
be remembered as a peoples’ doctor who cared deeply
about working class and poor communities, as well as,
marginalized groups. People living with HIV/AIDS have lost
a friend and our communities a doctor who cared. He still
had much work to do in our country.”
Zackie Achmat (TAC Deputy General-Secretary) said: “I met Ivan Toms in 1982, he was always committed to public health. He was an energetic, humorous and dedicated activist. Anti-apartheid activists will mourn his premature death.”
The Treatment Action Campaign extends condolences to his family, friends, comrades and colleagues.
Issued by: Vuyiseka Dubula (TAC General-Secretary)
A WHO plan for Burn Prevention and Care
The long-awaited report on burns is now available from the World Health Organisation. This document is a road map for
international activities in burn prevention for the next five years. We include below the Foreword to this report by
Dr Etienne Krug,Director, Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, WHO.
Burns constitute a major public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries where over 95% of all burn deaths occur. Fire-related burns alone account for over 300 000 deaths per year, with more deaths from scalds, electricity, chemical burns and other forms of burns. However, deaths are only part of the problem; for every person who dies as a result of their burns, many more are left with lifelong disabilities and disfigurements. For some this means living with the stigma and rejection that all too often comes with disability and disfigurement.
In high-income countries, much has been achieved in terms of reducing the burden of injury from burns. Implementation of proven interventions, such as smoke detectors, regulation of hot water heater temperature and flame retardant children’s sleepwear, has meant that mortality rates from burns have steadily declined over the past 30-40 years. However, such strategies have yet to be widely applied in low- and middle-income countries, and consequently mortality rates remain relatively high, especially among the poorer members of society. Likewise, the benefits of advances in burn treatment and care (which have led to higher survival rates and improved functional recovery of burn victims in
most high-income countries) have yet to make much of an impact in most low- and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been working collaboratively with the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) and other partners to develop strategies to improve the prevention of burn injuries worldwide, but especially in low- and middle-income countries. The goal is to promote the development of the spectrum of burn control measures, to include improvements in burn prevention and strengthened burn care, as well as better information and surveillance systems, and more investment in research and training. We hope that the broad-based strategic plan presented in this document will catalyse burn prevention and care efforts globally and will assist the many people and agencies worldwide who are currently working to prevent burns and improve the care of burn victims in their communities.
This Report is cited as: Mock C, Peck M, Peden M, Krug E eds. A WHO plan for burn prevention and care. Geneva, WHO, 2008. It is available on the following web site: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention.
