Geneva, 7 August 2024 — The World Health Organization (WHO) is mourning the unexpected loss of Aidan O’Leary, Director of the WHO Polio Eradication Programme. O’Leary, a dedicated humanitarian, died suddenly last night from natural causes while on holiday with his family.
“Aidan was an outstanding humanitarian who served tirelessly in the most difficult parts of the world,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a media briefing today. “He embodied the ideal of service and solidarity across peoples and borders.”
O’Leary joined WHO in 2020, following a distinguished career with the United Nations in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen. Dr. Tedros emphasized the significant loss not only to WHO but also to the global community, particularly O’Leary’s family and friends in Ireland and around the world.
“We will miss Aidan enormously and will remember him for his kindness, openness, and friendliness. He was a gentle giant, in every sense,” Dr. Tedros added. “We are committed to continuing his legacy to realize his vision—and ours—of a polio-free world. Rest in peace, my dear friend.”
WHO Pushes Forward with Polio Vaccination in Gaza
In tribute to O’Leary’s ongoing work, WHO will proceed with plans for two rounds of polio vaccination campaigns in Gaza, aiming to vaccinate 600,000 children under the age of 8. Over 1 million polio vaccines will be sent to Gaza in the coming weeks to address the detection of polio in local wastewater, signaling community transmission and risk to unvaccinated children.
“We need absolute freedom of movement for health workers and medical equipment to carry out these complex operations safely and effectively,” Dr. Tedros stated. He called for a ceasefire or “days of tranquility” to ensure the vaccination campaigns can be conducted without interruptions, protecting Gaza’s children from polio.
