Prof. Taher Ahmed Rizgalla (1936-2021)
Prof. Rizgalla, a well-known chest physician in Libya, passed away peacefully at his
home in Tripoli on July 5, 2021.
Prof. Rizgalla studied undergraduate medicine at Perugia University, Italy (1958–1965),
through a scholarship awarded by the Italian government. He returned to Libya a year
later to work at the Tripoli Central Hospital, then left for Munich Klinikum Rechts
der Isar and Perugia again 6 years later to specialize in Internal Medicine. Upon
his return in 1972, he was appointed Director of the Chest Hospital at Abusitta, Tripoli.
Following the Ministry of Health's making tuberculosis (TB) as one of its priorities
in 1970, Prof. Rizgalla was appointed Head of the National TB Program for Western
Libya in 1973 and later Director of the TB Program for all of Libya in 1993. It was
during his directorship that the WHO directly observed treatment short-course Program
was implemented. This provided Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination at birth, Ziehl-Neelsen
staining, chest radiography, free antituberculous drugs, a National Registry, and
training of doctors. Under his management, the prevalence fell from 1.8% in 1959 to
0.14% in 1976. New cases continued to fall up to 1985 and remained stable until he
left the program in 2003 (data thereafter were unreliable). Despite the various administrative
and political challenges, he never wavered in his love for living and working in his
country.
He was an active member of teaching staff at the Tripoli University Medical School
for over 30 years. He finally retired from all his professional duties in 2015 for
health reasons.
He is survived by his wife Ursula, daughter Jamila, sons Usama and Marwan, and 4 grandchildren.
