Dr Koert Ritmeijer

Koert Ritmeijer is a medical and public health scientist, and has been working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) since 1989. He is currently coordinator research in MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (MSF-OCA), and inter-MSF lead on neglected tropical diseases.

He has an MSc in Nutrition and Health (Wageningen University), a Master of Public Health (KIT-Amsterdam), and in 2006 he obtained a Ph.D in Medical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam with field studies on visceral leishmaniasis control in East Africa. Since the mid-90’s he is coordinating, and giving technical support to the MSF-OCA leishmaniasis programmes in East Africa and South Asia, including responding to several large VL epidemics, often in extremely resource-poor and war-affected situations.

Koert has led on numerous operational and clinical field research projects with the aim to improve diagnosis, treatment, and control of VL under resource-limited field conditions. A lot of his research has focused on improving survival outcomes of HIV co-infected VL patients in East Africa. The research outcomes have resulted in direct benefits for patients, and have influenced national and international policies and research agendas.

In 2010 he was awarded the Eijkman Medal, the Netherlands award for tropical medicine research.