Remembering Dr. Alan Magill

The United Nations Foundation joins the malaria community in mourning the loss of Dr. Alan Magill, a leader in global health and a dear friend of Nothing But Nets. Dr. Magill recently passed away at his home in Seattle.

Alan served as Director of the Malaria Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for three years, during which he oversaw the development and implementation of various malaria eradication strategies.

A brilliant man and trained clinician, Alan helped to develop the first rapid diagnostic test for malaria— his contribution to the fight against malaria helped the international community to achieve outstanding progress over the last fifteen years – saving more than 6 million lives and reducing deaths from malaria by an estimated 58% globally.

Apart from his passion for wiping out malaria, Alan will be remembered for what his colleagues at the Gates Foundation describe as an infectious optimism and humility. “He had a rare gift for bringing people together and helping them work towards a common goal,” Bill and Melinda Gates said recently in a statement. His leadership will be greatly missed and his mission cherished.

There is something we can all do to help keep Alan’s legacy alive—by being diligent in reaching our new targets to end malaria.  In a recent interview with The Lancet, Alan reflected on his time spent serving as Head of Parasitology at the US Navy’s Medical Research Center in Peru in the 1990s, and said “I couldn’t imagine then that we would be talking today about a malaria-free world as a possibility.” This truly demonstrates how far we’ve come and how much more progress can be made under the framework of the new development goals.

Many of us at the UN Foundation and Nothing But Nets knew Alan personally and worked with him regularly. We share Alan’s vision for a healthier world and an end to malaria. Learn more about the goals, and help us turn his vision into a reality.