Requiem for the researchers
More than 100 passengers aboard downed Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 were traveling to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia, according to reports.
On this behalf, the International AIDS Society confirmed in a statement that "a number of colleagues and friends" were aboard the plane, although it did not state an exact number. In addition, Barack Obama confirmed reports that nearly a third of the passengers were scientists, health workers, and activists headed for the AIDS conference. He said : "On board Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 there were apparently nearly 100* researchers and advocates traveling to an international conference in Australia dedicated to combating AIDS/HIV."... "These were men and women who had dedicated their own lives to saving the lives of others and they were taken from us in a senseless act of violence."
All 298 souls aboard were killed in the terrible crash.
One of the famous names that came out was the Dutch HIV researcher Dr Joep Lange. He was the president of the International AIDS Society and one of the precursors and advocate for the combination therapy using multiple antiretroviral drugs for management of HIV/AIDS. He was also an activist pro implementation of affordable HIV/AIDS medication for the poor, specially in the African continent. Dr. Lange was married and he was the father of 5 children. He was a professor of infectious diseases, at the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam since 1983.
His wikipedia profile is updated as a requiem for this great researcher:
In 2001, he founded the "PharmAccess Foundation", a non-profit organization based in Amsterdam which aims to improve access to HIV/AIDS therapy in developing countries, and he served as chairman until his death. Lange was a former president of the International AIDS Society (2002–04). Lange was also the Scientific Director of HIV[e]Ducation, an online learning system for medical doctors, nurses and counsellors working with HIV-positive people. He was also a founding editor of the medical journal, Antiviral Therapy.
In 2006 he became Professor of Medicine at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam and Senior Scientific Advisor to the International Antiviral Therapy Evaluation Centre, Amsterdam. He was also co-director of the HIV Netherlands Australia Research Collaboration, based in Thailand. Lange also served on Accordia Global Health Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board.[4]
He was a member of several societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, and International AIDS Society.
He received the Eijkman Medal for tropical medicine and international health in 2007