THE DIRECTOR OF the World Health Organisation’s End Polio programme, Irishman Aidan O’Leary, has died while on holiday with his family.

O’Leary, who spearheaded global programmes to eradicate Polio, died on Tuesday according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative yesterday.

He led a life of humanitarianism, serving to help those in the the most difficult parts of the world. President Michael D Higgins has today paid tribute to him and extended his condolences to O’Leary’s family.

O’Leary joined the Polio Eradication Programme in 2021 and previously served as head of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq with the UN.

He was also previously the Deputy Director of Operations for UNRWA in Gaza.

“It is with the deepest sadness that so many people, and particularly those working to help some of the most vulnerable on our planet, will have learned of the sudden passing of Aidan O’Leary,” President Higgins said in a statement this afternoon.

“Aidan O’Leary was a wonderful person who dedicated his life to helping those living in the most difficult, war-torn parts of the world.”

President Higgins commended O’Leary’s “vital contributions” to the world through his work within the UN, and described him as “an outstanding humanitarian who embodied the ideal of service and solidarity across people and borders”.

He added: “It is with the most remote and vulnerable people on the planet that Aidan worked, and it is amongst those people that he will be remembered the most and his legacy of work most cherished.”

Director General of the WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus yesterday said he was “devastated and heartbroken” to learn of O’Leary’s death, who he described as a “very dear friend”.

“Aidan’s passing is a shock to all of us, and especially to his family and friends in his native Ireland and around the world. On behalf of WHO, I extend my deepest condolences to all of them,” Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

I'm devastated and heartbroken at the passing of a very dear friend and colleague, Aidan O'Leary, Director of the @WHO Polio Eradication Programme.

Aidan's passing is a shock to all of us, and especially to his family and friends in his native Ireland and around the world. On… pic.twitter.com/p5YXJepTqm

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 7, 2024

Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that O’Leary was “an outstanding humanitarian” who “served tirelessly” to help people in difficult parts of the world to survive, thrive and end Polio. 

He embodied the ideal of service and solidarity across peoples and borders.”

President Higgins too extended his condolences to O’Leary’s wife Karen, to his children Darragh and Eimear, to his brother Art O’Leary, the CEO of the Electoral Commission.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, yesterday, Art O’Leary said his older brother was “gone too soon”.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a non-profit organisation, said: “On a personal level, Aidan was an extremely personable, open and gentle friend and colleague.  He will be missed deeply both on a professional and on a personal level.”