Dr Allan Rosenfield, NYAM Fellow and Trustee, Dies after Long Illness

Dr Allan Rosenfield, Fellow and Trustee of The New York Academy of Medicine, a leader in maternal and child health, and advocate for health policies to protect the poor and disadvantaged, has died.

"He courageously battled ALS for the past three years and was actively committed to his work and involved in NYAM activities until shortly before his death," said Jo Ivey Boufford, president of The New York Academy of Medicine. "He brought to our Board his outstanding experience as a pioneer in public health issues both here and abroad."

Dr Rosenfield received the Stephen Smith Award for Lifetime Achievement in Public Health at NYAM’s 159th Annual Stated Meeting of the Fellows in 2006. He was recognized for his tireless work in advocating for the health and well being of vulnerable populations around the world, especially women and children.

He served as dean of the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University from 1986 to 2008, and in that position, was instrumental in positioning the school as a major force in New York City’s public health

Dr Allen Rosenfield (4th from the right) seen here at NYAM's 159th Annual Stated Meeting of the Fellows standing between fellow honoree Kofi Annan and current NYAM Chairman of the Board, Dr Thomas Q. Morris.

arena and extending its reach around the world. He was also Director of the Center for Global Health and Economic Development, and The DeLamar Professor of Public Health and of OB/GYN. Dr Rosenfield was a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an elected member of The Institute of Medicine.

Earlier in his career, following training in OB/GYN at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he worked in Nigeria as an obstetrician and then in Thailand as Population Council Representative and advisor to the Ministry of Public Health for family planning and maternal/child health. He earned his BA at Harvard and his MD at Columbia.

"Allan Rosenfield was a vigorous advocate for those in need," said Dr Thomas Q. Morris, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NYAM. "Whether representing women and children, AIDS victims, or the underserved, he was a passionate and informed authority. We will miss his voice both now during these turbulent times, as well as in the future."

In 2007, the International Women’s Health Coalition paid tribute to Dr Rosenfield. At the event, he said "I have spent my career, now 40 years, trying to help ensure that women and girls have access to the health services that are their basic right??? Tragically, and for me personally, this is most discouraging, over half a million women still die each year from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth, a majority of them in low-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We still live in a world where it took a lecture at an international AIDS meeting, followed by an article in a medical journal, to persuade policymakers that women living with HIV/AIDS deserve HIV drugs in their own right, not just to prevent infection in their babies at birth."

One year ago, Dr Rosenfield was still reminding the world of the challenges still faced in women’s and children’s health. Today, his legacy remains in the work that will be persevered in public health, especially for vulnerable populations here and abroad.

Posted on October 16, 2008

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Andrew J. Martin
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