Tragic passing of WHO Director for Polio Eradication Aidan O’Leary

We mourn the loss of a great friend to Rotary — Aidan O’Leary, director for polio eradication at the World Health Organization, whose sudden and untimely death has shocked us all.

Aidan was a visionary leader with a deep sense of humanity and purpose. He was an inspiration to all those trying to create a polio-free world and worked tirelessly to achieve that goal.

He made himself readily available to engage with Rotary members at events both large and small, and he was known for his friendly manner and enduring commitment to ending polio.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. We will remember him always for his extraordinary dedication to making the world a better place and for his sincere appreciation of our organization.

As members of Rotary, we can best honor Aidan’s memory by achieving what we set out to do: Protect all children everywhere from this devastating disease.

Statement from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

It is with great sadness that we wish to inform you of the sudden and tragic passing of Mr Aidan O’Leary, Director for Polio Eradication at WHO. Aidan passed away suddenly on the evening of Tuesday 6 August, while he was on holiday with his family.

Our thoughts and prayers are at this time with his family – we wish them strength and courage during this difficult period.

Aidan was a true leader, inspiring us all to strive to attain a better world. Most recently, he was leading our global effort to eradicate polio as Director of the WHO Polio Eradication Programme. But already prior to that, he had been working tirelessly for the betterment of humanity.

Originally from Ireland, Aidan had a wealth of emergencies and public health experience. Before starting with WHO, Aidan had been serving as Head of Office in Yemen for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a role he had also previously held in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Head of OCHA’s Regional Office for the Syria Crisis.

Aidan also demonstrated his deep commitment to supporting some of the world’s most vulnerable people in other emergency settings. This included serving as Deputy Director of Operations for UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) based in Gaza, and Chief of Polio Eradication for UNICEF working in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On a personal level, Aidan was an extremely personable, open and gentle friend and colleague.

He will be missed deeply both on a professional and on a personal level. Aidan is survived by his wife and two children who he loved dearly. On behalf of the GPEI, we wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to Aidan’s family, friends, and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.