In Memory of Professor John Patrick Vaughan

Patrick Vaughan (far left) and Sandra Kabir (2nd from the right) with Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, BRAC Founder and Chairperson, and BRAC UK Trustees – London, 2010.

We are deeply saddened by the death of Professor John Patrick Vaughan, Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology and Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and inaugural Chair of BRAC UK’s (now BRAC Europe) Board of Trustees. Patrick passed away on 26 July in London at the age of 87, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Patrick was a dedicated educator and a public health expert. His long career in international health and health systems research spanned the globe. This included work in government health services in Papua New Guinea, starting a medical school at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and three years investigating the causes of paediatric diarrhoea in Bangladesh. 

In 2006, Patrick became one of the founding leaders of BRAC UK, serving as its Chair of Trustees until 2011. During this time, he was particularly passionate about the role that BRAC UK played in advocating a ‘South-South’ approach to development, as well as in ‘South-North’ development dialogues. His influence on BRAC was personal and institutional. He shaped research approaches, inspired innovation, and strengthened BRAC’s capacity to deliver impact at scale.

Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International, reflected: “Patrick Vaughan was not just a Trustee – he was a committed friend and a steadfast supporter of BRAC’s work around the world”.