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Tribute to Professor Bongani Mawethu Mayosi
A friend, a brother, a mentor, a leader, a champion, a warrior and a true son of Africa
Since Friday 28 July 2018 when I got the news of the sudden
death of Prof Bongani M Mayosi, I have been in ‘psychological
shock’ and this will remain with me for a long time to come.
Bongani had called me a day or two earlier (while I was
in Mombasa, Kenya, attending the annual conference of the
Kenya Cardiac Society) to get an update on the INVICTUS
trial in Nigeria. I had promised to call him back from Nigeria on
Monday 30 July. It is therefore very hard for me to accept that a
brother, a friend, a mentor, a warrior, a champion, a leader and
a true son of Africa has suddenly left this side of eternity. This
is devastating.
My first personal contact with Bongani was at the PASCAR
renaissance meeting (4–9 February 2007) in Kenya (although he
had earlier contacted some of us indirectly via e-mail through
Prof Mpiko Ntsekhe/Dr Akinyemi Aje on 3 January 2007 to
join the IMPI trial). At the PASCAR meeting, Bongani spoke
with great passion and emotion and a very rare eloquence on
the need for collaboration to tackle endemic diseases on the
continent (especially ‘cardiovascular diseases of the poor’, such
as rheumatic heart disease, tuberculous pericarditis and endemic
cardiomyopathies).
Since then, Bongani has remained a source of leadership and
inspiration, not only to me but also to my other colleagues from
Nigeria, such as Prof Mahmoud Sani and Dr Dike Ojji. On 17
October 2007, I sent the proposal/protocol of the Nigerian Heart
Failure Registry to him. Bongani replied and made vey useful
comments but suggested we join the Continental HF registry
(THESUS-HF).
Then started the era (contemporary) of very fruitful and
rewarding collaboration in cardiovascular disease research
through the instrumentality and able leadership of Prof Bongani
Mayosi, Prof Karen Sliwa (who I first met at the WHO/
WELLCOME Trust workshop on secondary prevention of
CVDs in LMIC in London, 6–8 June 2007) and Prof Albertino
Damasceno (who I first met at the ISH hypertension teaching
seminar in Maputo, Mozambique, 21–22 September 2006).
These include the IMPI trial, REMEDY, RELY_AF registry,
PAPUCO, BAHEF trial, CREOLE and INVICTUS trials.
For Bongani to leave us at a moment like this is very
saddening and frustrating. We shall miss his useful advice. We
shall miss his encouraging words and leadership.
‘O death, where
is
thy sting? O grave, where
is
thy victory?’
Our consolation is that you fought a good fight and ran your
race well while you were on this side of eternity. The story of the
African Union and United Nations Resolution on Rheumatic
Heart Disease will not be complete without the name Bongani
M Mayosi.
My deepest condolences go to his immediate family and all
his associates worldwide. God willing, we shall keep the candle
of collaboration he ignited burning.
‘Fading away like the stars of the morning,
Losing their light in the glorious sun –
Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling,
Only remembered by what we have done.
Only remembered, only remembered,
Only remembered by what we have done.’
(Horatius Bonar)
Adieu Bongani Mayosi
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University
College Hospital Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Dr OS Ogah, MB BS, MSc, PhD, FWACP, FACP, FESC
Letter to the Editor