[Leish-l] Obituary

[Farrokh Modabber]

Dear friends and colleagues,
Professor Convit was an inspiration and his legacy should remain alive in the minds of all of us.  He was a pioneer of Immunotherapy of leprosy and leishmaniasis.  His vision in using BCG as an adjuvant with killed organism inspired much research, besides helping tens of thousands of CL cases in Venezuela at a time when antimonials were not available/too costly or unacceptable because of severe side effects.   Some attempt to discredit Convit’s work because the treatment was not a silver bullet or well defined, others had ulterior motives for personal gains.  Yet it is undeniable that he introduced an approach and a treatment that produced final cure at the same rate as antimonials but with far less cost, side effects and with virtually no relapse.  His vision and pioneering work guided the studies on the first generation vaccines in the Old World.  The vaccines were safe but without prophylactic efficacy, however, immuno-chemotherapy trial in Sudan, with the addition of alum to the killed parasites + BCG together with antimonial showed significant therapeutic efficacy in persistent PKDL cases that are very difficult to treat.
Those of us who worked with Professor Convit in the field have witnessed his generosity, kindness and unselfish drive to help people with little means even after the age of ninety.  Prof. Convit should be a model for young Leishmaniacs and be remembered as a true gentleman and scholar.
With my condolences to the family and  friends of Professor Jacinto Convit,
Farrokh Modabber
PS. Thank you Martin


From: leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br [mailto:leish-l-bounces at lineu.icb.usp.br] On Behalf Of Martin Sanchez
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 5:38 AM
To: Leish-l at lineu.icb.usp.br; Jeffrey Shaw
Subject: [Leish-l] Obituary

I regret to inform the scientific community of the list today we buried our Maestro! Professor. Jacinto Convit who passed away on Monday, May 12 at the age of 100

Professor Convit  a great medical researcher  born in Caracas Venezuelan in September 1913,  stood out nationally and internationally as a leader in studies in the field of Dermatology and Public Health , developing models immunization against leprosy and leishmaniasis at the end of the eighties , which led him to be among the nominees for the Nobel Prize in Medicine .

 Dr. Convit created in the decade of the seventies, the National Institute of Dermatology, current (Institute of Biomedicine  , which to date was its director. Added to this , among his achievements the creation of the network of national dermatological outpatient programs and the establishment of monitoring and control of diseases such as leprosy , leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis,  paracoccidioidomycosis .

Author of over 200 scientific publications, , recognized nationally and internationally  by his immunization models of endemic diseases in the country, and  in recent years for development studies in cancer immunotherapy

Jacinto Convit received numerous national and international awards , some of which the Sovereign Order of Malta, Knight Grade " Religionis " (1969 ) , Armand Frappier Institute Medal Armand Frappier in Canada (1979 ) , Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research of Spain (1987 ) , "Health for all by the Year 2000 " WHO - PAHO (1988 ) , " Abraham Horwitz for American Health " Prize for the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF ), Washington Medal (1989 ) , Guy Number ( chair No. XXXI) of the National Academy of Medicine, Venezuela (1990 ) , " Mexico Science and Technology " award from the Government of the United States of Mexico (1990) and the Legion of Honor of France ( 2011 ) .

Dr Convit always be remembered for his patients, his humility, constant service vocation for over 75 years and her dedication to the health of Latin American

may his soul rest in peace


Martín A. Sánchez S. PhD
Laboratorio de Biología Celular
Instituto de Biomedicina
UCV- MSDS
Sàn nicolas a Providencia Apdo.4043
Caracas 1010A Venezuela
Tel: +58-212-8625326/8305323
Fax:+58-212-8619593/8611258


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