Vientiane, Lao PDR 6 June 2017 - With profound sadness, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, announces that its Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, passed away suddenly at his home Sunday night. He was 68 years old.
“This is a devastating loss for UNFPA and for the people, especially women, girls and youth; he dedicated his life to serving, starting from when he became a doctor in Nigeria. We express our deep sympathy to his family and pray that they have the fortitude to bear this great loss.”
“Dr. Osotimehin was bold and never afraid of a challenge and his strong leadership helped keep the health and rights of the world’s women and girls high on the global agenda. He understood that the world’s 1.8 billion young people are truly its greatest hope for the future.” UNFPA is dedicated to continuing Dr. Osotimehin’s grand vision for women and young people and will continue to stand up for the human rights and dignity of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable adolescent girls.
Dr. Osotimehin, a physician and public health expert, became UNFPA’s fourth Executive Director on 1 January 2011, with the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General. Befor
Dr. Osotimehin qualified as a doctor from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1972, and went to the University of Birmingham, England, where he got a doctorate in medicine in 1979. He was appointed Professor at the University of Ibadan in 1980 and headed the Department of Clinical Pathology before being elected Provost of the College of Medicine in 1990. Dr. Osotimehin received the Nigerian national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger in December 2005. He led several councils, including in the World Economic Forum.
He was married, had five children and several grandchildren.
Messages can be conveyed through UNFPA's Lao PDR Country Office via laos.office@unfpa.org.
UNFPA Laos held a short memorial at 16:00 on 6 June 2017 at the UN House at the Lane Xang room.
See more at http://www.unfpa.org/press/unfpa-mourns-passing-executive-director
