Emeritus Professor of Experimental Medicine at UWI, Dr David Picou, whose groundbreaking work on malnutrition saved the lives of millions of children throughout the world, has died at age 97.
A renowned Caribbean health researcher and the first Caribbean national to be appointed director of the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit at UWI, Jamaica, Dr Picou helped develop life-saving approaches to the care of severely malnourished children. He led the development and publication of clinical guidelines for their treatment, which was adapted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others working in the field for use globally, which has saved millions of lives of babies, young children and adults (1959-1978).
Dr Picou re-located to T&T in 1978 to assume the post of chairman of the Mt Hope Medical Complex Task Force that implemented that complex of 71 buildings and structures. including a 300-bed adult hospital, a 210-bed children’s and veterinary hospitals; a medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy and advanced nursing schools.
He later became the first director of research of the Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC), where he promoted medical research in the region through annual medical research meetings and research skills training workshops, a small grants research programme and obtaining substantial funds to conduct research in the region.
He also established and ensured processes for the ethical conduct of human research, the organisation, translation, scalability and delivery of essential national health research and effective treatment and care as exemplified by his contributions to chronic diseases, and infections such as HIV/AIDS.
He has served on the board of the West Indian Medical Journal, as the chairman of the CAREC Scientific Advisory Committee, on several international advisory committees and as a consultant to WHO, PAHO/WHO.
Dr Picou lectured at prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Institutes of Health and has received several awards, including the Chaconia Medal Gold for long and meritorious service and the Caribbean Institute for Health Research Award.