17 Jul Commemorating 10 Years Since Joep and Jacqueline’s Untimely Deaths
On this day 10 years ago, Malaysian Airlines flight #MH17 was struck down by a missile as it traversed over Donetsk, Ukraine. Two of our dear colleagues, Prof. Joep Lange, founder of AIGHD, and Jacqueline van Tongeren, were on this flight as they headed to the International AIDS Conference 2014 in Australia.
We remain inspired by their approach to health equity. We believe that the best way to commemorate them is to continually live out their values through our work as an organization. From expanding HIV and other infectious disease diagnostics in Africa and elsewhere, developing new interventions for SARS-COV2, and studying the intricate relationships between climate and health, our organization is built on mutual values of equity and justice firmly espoused by us all.
In the sea of changes surrounding Global Health, we remain steadfast in our commitment to values of health equity, sustainability, and accessibility through interdisciplinarity and equitable partnerships. We rise to the challenge of global health inequality in the same spirit as Joep and Jacqueline, and we hope to continually impact the lives of millions of people as they have.
Together with our sibling organizations, PharmAccess and the Joep Lange Institute, we remember and strive to emulate their spirit and their drive for change.
The NOS recorded a programme “Muziek als troost” (Music as Comfort) to commemorate Prof. Lange and Jacqueline which was broadcasted on the 16th of July at 20:35. You can find the full special programme here: https://over.nos.nl/nieuws/speciale-programmas-over-10-jaar-vliegramp-mh17/
The Dutch Public Broadcaster (NPO) has released a documentary series on MH17 which is available on their website for free (in Dutch only): npo.nl/start/serie/de-echo-van-mh17/seizoen-1/breng-ze-thuis/afspelen.