12 months after his tragic death, LSTM remembers Dr Juan Jesus Ortiz-Iruri, who was among those killed during the terrorist attack on the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi, Kenya on 21st September 2014.
Dr Ortiz had been working with the Centre for Maternal and Newborn Health (CMNH) as a consultant in Kenya for about nine months before his death and was, within days, due to take up the post of Senior Technical Officer for CMNH in Liverpool. Dr Ortiz had a long and distinguished career as a public health consultant, dedicating his life to improving health systems in Africa and Asia, particularly in the fields or maternal, child and newborn care.
Professor Nynke can den Broek, Head of CMNH, said: “Juan’s loss is still felt within CMNH and LSTM both personally and professionally by all those knew him and worked with him. He had worked with us for some time in Kenya on a range of maternal and newborn health programmes. Despite his loss, and in honour of his work and commitment, those programmes continue to flourish. He was an outstanding member of our professional family.”
A short service of remembrance has been held for Dr Ortiz by CMNH today, to celebrate his life. Professor van den Broek continued: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Juan’s family, particularly his daughter Juanita, who was with him at the time of the attack.”