EDCTP mourns the loss of Dr Ricardo Pereira

On 11 January 2022, our dear colleague Dr Ricardo Pereira, Science Officer at the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and EDCTP General Assembly representative for Portugal, passed away following a long battle against cancer. Many in the EDCTP General Assembly, Scientific Advisory Committee and the Secretariat worked with him and knew him well. We are deeply saddened by this tragic news of his untimely passing.

“Dr Pereira was Portugal’s representative on the EDCTP General Assembly since 2013, with a deep knowledge of and commitment to EDCTP, its programme, governance and people. He was very devoted to his work with EDCTP and his enthusiasm was evident through his active participation in numerous tasks contributing to the implementation of EDCTP. This included preparatory work for the EDCTP2 programme and its successor programme, Global Health EDCTP3, participation in General Assembly meetings and working groups, liaising with scientific communities and supporters in Portugal and Lusophone Africa, and promoting EDCTP funding opportunities. Dr Pereira frequently contributed to EDCTP-related events, especially towards the Ninth EDCTP Forum held in Lisbon in 2018, for which he played an instrumental role in its organisation.

Dr Pereira has been very passionate about global health and the work of EDCTP in Africa, Europe and beyond. He will be dearly missed by the broader EDCTP family and research community. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

Dr Michael Makanga, EDCTP Executive Director