Prof Zelimir Jaksic, MD, PhD (1930-2017)

In summer of the year 2017, unfortunately, passed away respective academician Zelimir Jaksic, former dean of Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb and former Director of “Andrija Stampar” School of Public Health in Zagreb. In 1955, he graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zagreb. From 1955 to 1959, he worked in the Department of General Medicine at the Zagreb Primary Health Care Center. He completed residency in the Hygiene and Social Medicine and became specialist in 1960. In 1965, he presented his doctoral dissertation on the topic “Assessment of Diabetes Incidence and its Early Detection”. He was habilitated at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb in 1967. Then he was elected as a full professor of Social Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb, in 1974. Professor Zelimir Jaksic was a fruitful organizer and researcher of numerous research and field experiments in epidemiology and the prevention of chronic diseases. Special emphasis was placed on the organization of Primary Health Care and Medical Education. From 1972 to 1974, he was the head of the World Health Organization’s Health Service Development Research team in Iran. The head of the Health Care Institute of the School of Public Health from 1975 to 1977, and for two years later he established the Primary Care and General Medicine Department at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb. The duty of the Director of the School of Public Health “Andrija Stampar” carried from 1978 to 1981. At that time, he established and coordinated international postgraduate courses in “Planning and Management of Primary Health Care in Developing Countries” and “Training of Teachers in General Medical Practice”, and since 1982, he was the Director of the World Health Organization’s Primary Health Care Collaboration Center at the School of National Health “Andrija Stampar”. In 1985 became the main researcher of the international project “Continuous Education for Primary Health Care Using Video and Computer Technologies” in collaboration with Japan. Since 1972 professor Zelimir Jaksic was a regular member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Croatia. In 1983 he was admitted to the Royal College of General Practitioners in London, and in 1988 he became professor at the Boston University. Professor Jaksic was the main project researcher between Yugoslavia and Japan. From 1987 to 1990, he was a vice dean, and later Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zagreb. For his contribution to the Development of General medicine in the world in 1999, at Palma de Mallorca received Hippocrates Medal from the European branch of the World Association of Family Physicians WONCA Europe. In 2005 he was elected to Professor emeritus of the University of Zagreb. Generations of undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as generations of specialists and specialists of General and Social Medicine will remember professor Jaksic as a calm, patient and good-natured teacher and educator. He was appreciated by his colleagues, associates, students and all the associations. He was a fruitful organizer and scientist especially in the field of epidemiology and the prevention of chronic illnesses, followed by the field of healthcare organization, in particular primary health care, and medical education. Professor Jaksic was a leader or associate at several international scientific projects and international postgraduate courses. For his contribution to the development of General Medicine in the US and worldwide he has received more awards and medals. Professor Jaksic will remain in our memories as a giant of medical education, and his scientific and professional achievements and for the future generations of doctors will be a lasting impetus and inspiration. His students, residents, specialists, colleagues and associates will remember him for his immense patience and benevolence in fostering creative thinking and activities in social medicine, epidemiology and family medicine. The School of public health “Andrija Stampar” lost one of its greats, who partly made it famous and well-known in the former Yugoslav areas, but also in Europe and the World. I personally remember him as a tireless worker, but also associate whose experiences was welcomed in my academic career. He loved Sarajevo and established good cooperation with the Institute and the Department of Social medicine and the organization of health, and several years ago we implemented several joint projects, some of which remained recognizable in Europe. A particularly important project was the “YugoslavSwedish Days of Social Medicine”, on which we worked together with the Karolinska Institute for Social Medicine in Stockholm for ten years, and which experiences and results significantly improved social medicine in our region.