IPPF European Network mourns the untimely death of its Vice-President, Peter Safar who died in a mountain climbing accident on Wednesday 6 August 2008. At the age of 55, Peter leaves behind a wife and four children. Peter worked as gynecologist in the Public General Hospital of Korneuburg in Lower Austria where he was always in the forefront of introducing new legislation and techniques to improve the reproductive health of women. In earlier days, he worked in Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Malawi and was still a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Safe Motherhood Project in that country.

For IPPF EN, Peter was a very dedicated and active volunteer, gentle, charming and with a warm heart for our cause particularly in regard to women’s rights and the situation of the Roma populations in Europe. He gave a lot of his free time to the IPPF Accreditation process and was a highly valued member of a number of accreditation review visits, the last one in April in Russia. He believed strongly in the accreditation system and always enjoyed the visits as they allowed him to better understand the working conditions of member associations in other countries. It also was a way to satisfy his interest in other people and cultures.

Peter Safar was elected to the IPPF EN Regional Executive Committee in 2003. In 2005, he was elected as Vice-President of IPPF EN and he was just this year re-elected in that mandate for another term of 3 years. At this year’s Regional Council he was also proud to receive the certificate for the successful accreditation of the Austrian Member Association.

Peter will be dearly missed by all those who had the privilege to know him.

Vicky Claeys,

IPPF EN Regional Director