Harry KeenCBE MD FRCP - Treasurer of the International Insulin Foundation 2002-2013
Photo courtesy of www.clearcast.co.uk
Harry was a lifelong supporter of the National Health Service (NHS), and until his death at the age of 87 remained vigorously involved with Keep Our NHS Public and the NHS Support Federation - appearing in Ken Loach's 'The Spirit of '45' describing the early impact of the NHS. He was also a champion of people with diabetes, playing a major role in the activities of the British Diabetic Association (BDA, later Diabetes UK) and in global diabetes. He was Chair of the BDA from 1990-96, and its Vice President, as well as Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). He played a major role in the crafting of the St Vincent Declaration, a call to action for European governments to develop plans for the prevention, identification and treatment of diabetes and its complications. As Professor of Medicine at Guy's, he led the Bedford Study team, and identified microalbuminuria as a risk marker for renal disease.
In 2000, the Lancet published John Yudkin's paper on insulin for the world's poorest countries, showing that lack of availability and affordability of insulin in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was condemning people with type 1 diabetes to a life expectancy measured in months. Harry, with one or two others, suggested that we should start a charity with the dual aim of advocacy and research, which is how the International Insulin Foundation (IIF) was born in 2001. Harry Keen and John Yudkin interviewed a young public health scientist called David Beran the following year, and after his appointment as our Project Officer, Harry acted as his valued mentor and counsellor for the following 11 years. Harry held the post of Treasurer of the IIF until his death, and was a vigorous advocate for challenging the global inequalities, and inequities, in diabetes care and access to treatment.
Our main ambition in the IIF was to improve availability, accessibility and affordability of insulin and treatment for people with type 1 diabetes. As well as conducting in-country health needs assessments, we were pushing the International Diabetes Federation to work on improving availability of cheap and quality-assured insulin. Harry's role as a leading player in global diabetes enabled him to keep this issue on the agenda. When it appeared that the IDF was dragging its feet, Harry was outspoken about its failure to live up to its mission statement, particularly considering the role that the UK had played in its evolution. His commitment to the causes in which he believed, and his willingness to take on powerful opponents - from the Health Secretary Kenneth Clarke in the High Court in the 1980s to the IDF in 2013 - remained undimmed.
Harry is being widely lauded as someone who, throughout his life remained enthusiastic to take up the cudgels for causes in which he believed, and many of the things which have been written are testimony to his 65 year commitment to the NHS. But his work with the International Insulin Foundation shows that this concern for the deprived, the poor and the sick was a global one. And being 87, or being on treatment for 3 months for an unpleasant illness, were unable to dim this flame. Harry's role in the IIF was indispensable, with contributions to policy setting, networking and fundraising helping fill the time that his undemanding role as Treasurer left free. He will be greatly missed
In 2000, the Lancet published John Yudkin's paper on insulin for the world's poorest countries, showing that lack of availability and affordability of insulin in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was condemning people with type 1 diabetes to a life expectancy measured in months. Harry, with one or two others, suggested that we should start a charity with the dual aim of advocacy and research, which is how the International Insulin Foundation (IIF) was born in 2001. Harry Keen and John Yudkin interviewed a young public health scientist called David Beran the following year, and after his appointment as our Project Officer, Harry acted as his valued mentor and counsellor for the following 11 years. Harry held the post of Treasurer of the IIF until his death, and was a vigorous advocate for challenging the global inequalities, and inequities, in diabetes care and access to treatment.
Our main ambition in the IIF was to improve availability, accessibility and affordability of insulin and treatment for people with type 1 diabetes. As well as conducting in-country health needs assessments, we were pushing the International Diabetes Federation to work on improving availability of cheap and quality-assured insulin. Harry's role as a leading player in global diabetes enabled him to keep this issue on the agenda. When it appeared that the IDF was dragging its feet, Harry was outspoken about its failure to live up to its mission statement, particularly considering the role that the UK had played in its evolution. His commitment to the causes in which he believed, and his willingness to take on powerful opponents - from the Health Secretary Kenneth Clarke in the High Court in the 1980s to the IDF in 2013 - remained undimmed.
Harry is being widely lauded as someone who, throughout his life remained enthusiastic to take up the cudgels for causes in which he believed, and many of the things which have been written are testimony to his 65 year commitment to the NHS. But his work with the International Insulin Foundation shows that this concern for the deprived, the poor and the sick was a global one. And being 87, or being on treatment for 3 months for an unpleasant illness, were unable to dim this flame. Harry's role in the IIF was indispensable, with contributions to policy setting, networking and fundraising helping fill the time that his undemanding role as Treasurer left free. He will be greatly missed
