Tribute to Gita Ramjee
PrEPVacc clinicians and scientists have paid tribute to the life of world-renowned HIV prevention researcher Gita Ramjee who died from COVID-19 complications in March.
She was a founding PI of PrEPVacc and was leader of the SAMRC HIV Prevention Research Unit in Durban, South Africa until she retired from the SAMRC in 2019.
Picture: The Aurum Institute
“Gita dedicated her life to preventing HIV,” said Sheena McCormack, PrEPVacc Project Lead at MRC CTU at UCL, London. “She worked tirelessly on the microbicide trials and in spite of many disappointing trial results she was willing to continue in the search of a new product – an inspiration that led to a life-time achievement award at the Microbicides 2012 conference.”
“It is a huge shock to all of us and a tragic reminder to do our best to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” she added.
Nishanta Singh, PrEPVacc Site PI at Durban and writing on behalf of her SAMRC colleagues, said that Gita would forever be fondly remembered by friends, colleagues and staff at the HIV Prevention Resarch Unit and SAMRC. She was an accomplished and celebrated scientist, a champion in the HIV prevention arena and more importantly, a dynamic, warm and kind human being.
“We have lost a shining star, a mother, grandmother, wife, sister, among the many roles she played with people in the community,” Nishanta said.
“Her legacy in HIV prevention is our gift and hope for the future. The HPRU will always remember Gita as our ‘Brave Eagle’,” said Nishanta, referring to a title that she was affectionately given by many at HPRU, based on a poem written by a staff member. “Her wisdom and knowledge will be treasured by all those that she has mentored, taught and inspired.”
PrEPVacc’s partners reacted with deep sadness and gratitude for her lifelong work.
“Our words cannot express how saddened we are, and we will always miss Gita,” said Lucas Maganga, PI for PrEPVacc at NIMR-MMRC in Tanzania. “The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a very significant challenge to all of us, and we join others in wishing Gita’s family strength during this difficult time.”
“She was an amazing, insightful and strong woman who was an inspiration to many,” said Kundai Chinyenze, IAVI’s PI for PrEPVacc, based in Kenya. “Her life’s work to empower women to be able to protect themselves from HIV was a huge contribution to the world. We mourn her loss and may her soul rest in peace.”
Eligius Lyamuya, PrEPVacc Co-investigator at MUHAS in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said: “We have lost a hero in HIV research. Let her fighting spirit against HIV infection, especially among women, inspire us as we continue with our quest for better interventions.”
UNAIDS Senior Science Adviser, Peter Godfrey-Fausset paid tribute to Gita and her extraordinary resilience and determination, and noted that her career “as a strong leader of research on HIV prevention, specifically on women, particularly underprivileged women and sex-workers, had brought her global acclaim—lifetime scientific awards for excellence from South Africa, an Outstanding Female Scientist Award from the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships, honorary degrees.”
The journal Nature reported that scientists who worked with Gita on HIV-prevention tools such as vaginal microbicides, designed to help stop the transmission of the virus to women, “praised her tenacity, passion and ability to connect with the communities in which she worked.”
Nature quoted Mitchell Warren, the executive director of AVAC, in New York City: “Gita was a unique investigator who understood that clinical trials are not just about clinics and laboratories and products, but fundamentally about people. These were not trials about products. These were trials about women’s lives.”
Gita Ramjee died on 31 March 2020, aged 63. She is survived by her husband Pravin, sons Shaniel and Rushil, daughter-in-law Alia and grandson Arran.