May 30th 2022
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Raúl Harari. Raúl was born in 1948 and passed away on May 30th, 2022, with his family at his side.
Raúl was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He held a Medical Degree from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, a Specialization in Public Health from the Central University of Ecuador and a Doctoral Degree in Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene from the University of Milan, Italy. After working as a medical practitioner in Internal Medicine for a few years in Argentina, he moved to Ecuador during the years of the military dictatorship. In Ecuador, he worked as a medical practitioner in rural Andean areas. Subsequently in Quito, he did a pioneering effort aimed at improving safety at work and preventing occupational diseases, in cooperation with local unions. Raúl advised many Ecuadorian trade unions in dozens of collective bargaining agreements.
Raúl co-founded and directed the Center of Studies on Workers’ Health (CEST) (1985-1991), as well as at the Center of Studies on Health, Safety and Industrial Hygiene (CESSHI) (1991-1993) created jointly with Italian cooperation and Italian Unions. Raúl also collaborated closely with the Swedish cooperation, that greatly appreciated his scientific, ethical and political commitment. As part of the international cooperation with Sweden, IFA (Institute for the Development of Production and the Work Environment) was established in Quito in 1992. Raúl was a co-founder of IFA in Ecuador and the Director since its creation. IFA is an NGO equipped with industrial hygiene instrumentation and occupational medicine equipment, with worldwide collaborations to conduct studies on occupational and environmental exposures and health effects. Some of his work can be found at www.ifa.org.ec. Raúl contributed to the design and improvement of policies on working conditions as well as on occupational and environmental exposures in workplaces and communities. He mentored several national and international doctors, trained workers and community groups, and taught at several universities in Ecuador.
Part of Raúl’s training in Epidemiology and Occupational Medicine was obtained at the Department of Occupational Medicine at the University of Linköping, Sweden, in the 90’s with Prof. Olav Axelson as his mentor, which resulted in an impressive number of national and international scientific studies and publications, particularly focused on oil industry, agriculture, banana, sugar cane and flower plantations, and small scale gold mining, including children’s health and environmental contamination. Furthermore, Prof. Axelson introduced him to Collegium Ramazzini where he was a proud fellow since 1995. In 2006, Raúl along with 20 other Ramazzini Fellows organized a Ramazzini Conference in Ecuador with over 450 participants from Ecuador and Latin America. Raúl maintained many international collaborative activities in Italy, especially with Istituto Superiore di Sanità and Lazio’s Region Department of Epidemiology, as well as universities in the US and in other European and Latin American Countries.
The whole Harari family (his wife Rocío and his children: Homero, Natalia and Florencia) shared with him work and sociopolitical engagement, Florencia also with the role of Ramazzini Fellow.
If anyone would like to get in contact with Raúl’s family, please email:
Homero Harari (Raúl’s son): homero.harari@mssm.edu / homeroharari@gmail.com
Florencia Harari (Raúl’s daughter): florencia.harari@amm.gu.se / florencia.harari@gmail.com
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