Joep Lange facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joep Lange
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| Born |
Joseph Marie Albert Lange
25 September 1954 Nieuwenhagen, Netherlands
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| Died | 17 July 2014 (aged 59) Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, near Hrabove, Ukraine
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| Cause of death | Aircraft shootdown |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam |
| Occupation | Physician, medical researcher |
| Employer | Academic Medical Center |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) | Jacqueline van Tongeren |
| Children | 5 |
Joseph Marie Albert "Joep" Lange (born September 25, 1954 – died July 17, 2014) was a doctor and scientist from the Netherlands. He was an expert in treating HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
He led the International AIDS Society from 2002 to 2004. This is a big group that works on HIV and AIDS around the world. Sadly, he died when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
Early life and education
Joep Lange was born in a place called Nieuwenhagen in the Netherlands. This was on September 25, 1954.
When he was a teenager, he went to high school in Florida, USA, for a year. Later, he studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam. He became a medical doctor in 1981. He then earned his PhD in 1987, which means he did advanced research.
Career and work
In 2001, Joep Lange started a group called the "PharmAccess Foundation." This group helps people in developing countries get medicine for HIV/AIDS. He was the leader of this group until he died.
He also used to be the president of the International AIDS Society. This is a very important role in the fight against AIDS. Lange also helped create HIV[e]Ducation. This is an online program that teaches doctors and nurses about HIV. He also helped start a medical magazine called Antiviral Therapy.
In 2006, he became a professor at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. He also helped lead research projects in other countries, like Thailand. In 2009, Joep Lange started the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD). This institute helps bring together different experts to improve health care worldwide. Their goal is to make sure everyone can get good health care.
He was also a member of several important science groups. These included the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2007, he received the Eijkman Medal. This award is for work in tropical medicine and global health.
Fighting HIV/AIDS
In the mid-1990s, Lange started to support using "combination therapy" for HIV/AIDS. This means using several medicines together. He believed that using only one medicine would not work well for long. This is because the virus can become resistant to single drugs.
In 1996, Lange supported the work of another scientist, David Ho. Ho treated HIV patients with many pills each day. This was a new idea at the time. Lange explained that Ho's work helped people understand HIV much better.
Lange also worked hard to make sure that AIDS medicines were affordable. He wanted people in African countries to be able to get these life-saving drugs.
In 2003, Lange led a study in Rwanda and Uganda. He found that babies born to HIV-positive mothers were much less likely to get HIV. This happened if the babies received special drugs while being nursed. He shared these important findings at a big meeting in Paris.
He also shared results from a large study involving many patients in 17 countries. This study showed that two different HIV medicines, nevirapine and efavirenz, worked equally well.
From 2010 to 2012, Lange often spoke about PREP. This is a way to prevent HIV infection. He believed it was more effective than other prevention methods.
Death
Joep Lange and his partner, Jacqueline van Tongeren, were on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This plane was shot down near Hrabove, Ukraine, on July 17, 2014. They were traveling to a big AIDS conference in Melbourne, Australia.
His death was a great loss to the science community. The International AIDS Society said they had "truly lost a giant." People at the conference were very shocked and sad.
Legacy
On July 15, 2015, the Joep Lange Institute was announced. This institute aims to continue his work. It will combine scientific research with practical actions. This is what Joep Lange was known for.
The institute received $20 million from private groups in the United States. The Dutch government will also support a special program in his name. Former US President Bill Clinton shared a video message. In it, he honored Joep Lange's work. He also stressed how important it is to continue his efforts. The institute started its work in late 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Joep Lange para niños
