DENIS BURKITT (1911 - 1993), CMG, MD (1933) Humanitarian surgeon who identified Burkitt’s lymphoma In 1957, Dr Denis Burkitt saw a five-year-old boy with a tumour of the jaw. Visiting Jinja Hospital a month later, Burkitt saw a girl with a similar tumour in her jaw as well as tumours in her abdomen. Both patients died, and Burkitt searched the hospital records finding similar past cases of jaw and abdominal tumours. He kept copious notes and concluded that these apparently different childhood cancers were all manifestations of a single type of malignancy. A year later, Burkitt published A sarcoma involving the jaws of African children . The newly identified cancer became known as ‘Burkitt’s lymphoma’. His second major contribution came when, on his return to the UK, Burkitt compared the pattern of diseases in African hospitals with Western diseases. He concluded that many Western diseases which were rare in Africa were the result of diet and lifestyle. He wrote a book, Don’t Forget Fibre in your Diet , which became an international bestseller. Burkitt’s work was not limited to Burkitt’s lymphoma - he instigated a plan to rid an entire Ugandan district of yaws and designed affordable orthopaedic equipment that could be locally produced in Kampala. In 1992, Burkitt received the Bower Award and Prize in Science to honour his outstanding contribution to science. In 2013, the Trinity Burkitt Medal Award was established to honour the achievements of world leaders in cancer care and research. SCILLA ELWORTHY, DIP (1965) Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr Scilla Elworthy founded the Oxford Research Group in 1982 to develop a dialogue with nuclear weapons decision-makers and set up Peace Direct in 2002 to support local peace- builders in conflict areas. Nominated for three Nobel Peace Prizes and awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003, Scilla advised Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up The Elders. She co-founded Rising Women Rising World in 2013. Scilla is the author of numerous books and articles. Her latest book The Mighty Heart was published in 2020. She is an Ambassador for Peace Direct, a Councillor of the World Future Council, patron of Gender Rights and Equality Action Trust, Voice of a Woman and Oxford Research Group and adviser to the Syria Campaign and the Institute for Economics and Peace. Scilla enabled leaders to make wiser decisions so that there is less suffering as a result of war. Today her full attention is on developing a Business Plan for Peace.
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