Remembering and Celebrating the Life and Work of Lucie Blok

News

Today KIT staff, former colleagues from across the world, and family gathered to celebrate the work, life, and legacy of our beloved colleague and friend Lucie Blok, who passed away in January 2022.

Lucie spent her career strengthening health systems and increasing the effectiveness of disease control programmes, and she was a key contributor to the development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation system for more than 170 TB REACH pilot projects. She assisted programmes around the world by analysing and translating lessons drawn from pilot projects to improve other interventions and contribute to national and global policy development. 

Global Fund Technical Review Panel

For several years, Lucie was also the chair of the independent Technical Review Panel (TRP), a pool of independent experts who analyse the technical merit of funding applications of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Shawn Baker, a former chair of the TRP, said: “There were 5 words to describe her work with the TRP: Rigour, Fairness, Passion, Kindness and Calm.”

With her strategic thinking skills and her ability to bring people together, Lucie played a key role in guiding the panel when after its first decade, the Global Fund was undergoing significant changes and adopting its new funding model. It is fair to say that many thousands of people are alive today because of her work, passion and dedication.

“You can’t exaggerate her contribution to the Global Fund and the world,” said Marijke Wijnroks, Chief of Staff of The Global Fund.

Lucie Blok Scholarship

Lucie also devoted time to mentoring and coaching master’s students and nurturing a new generation of health professionals. For this reason, KIT is pleased to announce the “Lucie Blok Scholarship”. This fund will enable mid-career health professionals from fragile states to follow a master’s course in public or international health at KIT.

By equipping health professionals with the knowledge needed to address public health challenges around the world, this fund is a fitting way to remember her and keep her legacy alive.

Announcing the new scholarship, Lisanne Gerstel, Head of master’s programmes at KIT, said: “One individual can make significant change. While Lucie might not have been sure about the name because she was so modest, she knew the impact teaching and education could have, and how building a network of skilled professionals empowers even more people.”

In closing, Lucie’s husband Bart said of the scholarship, “The work goes on and she would be very happy about that and so are we.”

For more information and to donate to the fund, please visit:

www.kit.nl/lucie-blok-scholarship