Prof. Dr. Oswaldo Paulino (1915-2006)

I regret to inform you that Prof. Oswaldo Paulino, a long term member of ICOH and former ICOH Board Member, passed away on December 21st, exactly two days after completing 91 years old.

Graduated in Medicine, in 1939, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Professor Paulino has served in his long career in Occupational Medicine, first as chief of OSH of the state-owned oil refinery in Cubatão (Petrobras). Later on, he also served the Federal Government as National Secretary of OSH (Ministry of Labor, Brasília) and Technical Director of Fundacentro (São Paulo). He also used to teach Occupational Medicine in the School of Medicine, in the city of Santos. However, his most important contribution in the field of Occupational Medicine was the promotion of scientific and associative organizations and societies. As a matter of fact, he was the founder of the Brazilian National Association of Occupational Medicine – ANAMT, in 1968, from which he received the title of Emeritus President, after leading it for more than 12 years. He also has promoted the organization of about 20 regional associations of Occupational Medicine, all over this large country. He was the first Brazilian to be appointed to the ICOH Board, and has always been an enthusiastic promoter of a Latin American and international approach to Occupational Health. He was invited to be the Honorary President of the 27th. ICOH Congress in Iguassu Falls, in February 2003.

The thousands of colleagues who had the privilege of knowing Oswaldo Paulino agree that his most outstanding character was his enormous capacity and obsession of aggregating people and attracting young professionals, certainly taking advantage of his large medical culture and his permanent enthusiasm for the full Ramazzini´s legacy.

We will miss him a lot!

René Mendes
President of the National Association of Occupational Medicine – ANAMT (Brazil)
ICOH Board Member