Moving forwards amidst the griefs

The authors from eight countries, belonging to three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) contributed to the current issue of the Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics (SJP). The cover pays tribute to the late Dr. Mohamed Zain Seidahmed, the Member of SJP International Editorial Board whom we suddenly and sadly lost in April 2022. He was committed to the cause of paediatric and neonatal medicine both nationally and internationally. Born in Binna Island in Northern Sudan (January 1950), he had his primary and intermediate schooling in the town of Rahad in Kordofan (the mid-west of Sudan) where his father worked as a governmental employee. He joined the famous Khor Taqqat Secondary School and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum in 1976 [1]. In 1985, he obtained the MRCP certificate of the UK and was elected a Fellow of The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (FRCPCH) in 1994.

Up to 1986, he worked in Newcastle teaching hospitals and then worked in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. In 1989, he joined the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was considered to be one of the pillars of neonatal medicine in Saudi Arabia. He has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles on perinatal medicine and genetic disorders, published by eminent medical journals.

He identified a novel inherited neonatal disease which was subsequently named after him (Zain syndrome, OMIM # 618766) after being published in the reputable journal Human Genetics in January 2020 [2,3].

Dr. Zain was committed to the well-being of children both in Saudi Arabia and Sudan. In Sudan, he contributed significantly to neonatal and midwifery services by providing equipment and by teaching during vacations. He also contributed to health education during vacations spent in Sudan. One of us (MAMS) shared with him a couple of appearances at the renowned television program ‘Health and Wellness’ directed by Dr. Omer Mahmoud Khalid (Figure 1) [4].

Figure 1.

During a couple of appearances at the renowned television program ‘Health and Wellness’ directed by Dr. Omer Mahmoud Khalid (middle) [4]. The late Dr. Mohamed Zain Seidahmed (left) and (right) the International Editor of the Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics (Prof. Mustafa A. Salih) shared the program.

Dr. Mohamed Zain Seidahmed will be remembered for the kindly help he gave so freely to his patients, students and colleagues.

Amidst the griefs, a distinctive piece of good news which needs to be highlighted in this Editorial is the announcement of the World Heart Awards in February 2022. The World Heart Foundation Advocacy Award in Cardiovascular Health was granted to Prof Sulafa Ali [5] and HEARTs in the Americas (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Announcement of the World Heart Awards in February 2022. Prof Sulafa Ali [5] and HEARTs in the Americas were granted The World Heart Foundation Advocacy Award in Cardiovascular Health.

Professor Sulafa Ali had commendable dedicated efforts, despite all challenges, in the pioneering program on the control of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Sudan which has previously been highlighted in SJP [6–10]. This pioneering work received international attention, recognition and admiration [11,12]. The award is yet another reflection on the engraved code of professionalism and ethics which Sudanese doctors’ honour. As has repeatedly been highlighted previously, Sudanese doctors were the first around the globe to offer their lives in fighting coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic [13,14].