Tribute to Professor Mamadou Pathé Diallo

It is with great sadness that IDDO has learnt of the passing of Professor Mamadou Pathé Diallo, a valued member of the IDDO team since 2019. Professor Diallo had been a Professor of Paediatrics since 1988 and was the Head of the Medical Centre & Health Counselling (CEMECO) in Kipé, the Paediatric, Haematology and Oncology Unit of Conakry University Hospital.

Professor Mamadou Pathé Diallo

He was also a member the Guinea National Ethics Committee for Health Research (CNERS), the West African College of Physicians (WACP), the Franco-African Group of Pediatric Oncology (GFAOP), and the Guinean Association of Biosecurity and Biosafety (AGUIBIOS), an NGO.

As a member of the CNERS and a paediatrician, Professor Diallo had direct experience of the critical events surrounding the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea. It was his multi-disciplinary expertise that allowed him to contribute to the Ebola Data Platform DAC on the sharing of data from EVD studies as well as the impact of research results seen from an ethical and scientific perspective, including the socio-anthropological challenges of the digital revolution, biotechnology and bioethics that confront Ebola-affected communities.

IDDO’s Associate Director Laura Merson said: “Prof Diallo not only contributed expertise and insight to our collaboration, but also a passion for science and developing early researchers. We will miss his generous spirit.”

Professor Diallo trained in medicine, haematology, research and management and during his career had been a district Chief Medical Officer, Head of Department at Conakry University Hospital, Minister of Health, Director of the Regional Institute of Public Health (IRSP) of Cotonou in Benin, and a Representative of WHO. He also pioneered the implementation of Primary Health Care (Bamako Initiative) in Guinea.

Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this sad time.