In Memoriam Ivan Wolffers
To our sorrow, Ivan Wolffers passed away last week; a farewell that he announced in advance, but still strikes us with grief.
For decades, Ivan has been associated with the Master degree programs in International Health at KIT Royal Tropical Institute. As chairman of the examination board and examiner, he has assessed the research work of hundreds of students from all parts of the world. He set the bar high to guarantee the quality of their work and the course, but always with an eye for the personal situation of students and the social conditions in their country of origin.
To anyone in the field of Global Health, Ivan was a tremendously inspiring health expert and activist, passionately committed to good health care in low- and middle-income countries, and quality education for health professionals.
His open approach to sex and sexuality has contributed to the work on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Netherlands and abroad, especially in the beginning and during the height of the HIV pandemic.
And as in all his work, Ivan made medical and social scientific insights accessible to everyone in this area as well. He could do that like no other. We will greatly miss the versatile talent of this dedicated man.