Dr. Bui Dang Ha Doan, Director of the Center for Sociology and Medical Demography (CSDM), died in in Paris last 2 March 2010, from a rheumatic disease.

Dr Bui was a pioneer and his work will continue to influence researchers focused on the issues of medical demography.

Many today are those interested in the problems of medical demography, whether it be the shortage of doctors in certain geographical areas, or the selection of students to certain specialties … For Bui, medical demography could not simply be limited to statistics: longitudinal analysis over a long period was more revealing of contradictions present in short-term decisions than of a longer-term perspective. His final analysis on the evolution of the numerus clausus is a perfect example: "we can glean some astounding contradictions, from which all rationality seems absent."

The last symposium he organized and which he could unfortunately not attend was held under the auspices of WHO and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, in Neuchâtel. The theme was "Performance of the human potential of a national health system." It was attended by more than 60 participants from 23 countries.

We are thankful, and are all the richer, for having known Dr Bui, and having learnt and benefited from his work, which he approached with such passion.

All at the HRH Journal express their sincere condolences to the family of Dr Bui, his colleagues at the CSDM and wish them strength at this time of great loss.