It was with great sadness that the EMCDDA learned this week of the passing of its long-term friend and colleague Tomáš Zábranský MD, PhD. Dr Zábranský was a highly-esteemed Czech epidemiologist, who played a key role in developing the country’s drug policy. He was specialised in the epidemiology of blood-borne diseases and mortality among people who use drugs and in the economic evaluation of drug programmes and policies.
In recent years, Tomáš served on the EMCDDA Management Board, representing the European Parliament.
In the period 1999–2001, Dr Zábranský participated in the establishment of the Czech national focal point — the National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addictions — and was the main author of the first Annual Report on the State of Drugs in the Czech Republic (2001). He also taught and led research projects at the country’s Centre for Addictology — now the Department of Addictology of the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University and the General University Hospital in Prague.
Dr Zábranský authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and monographs and two professional books (see scholar.google.cz). He also published on drugs in the print and electronic media and appeared regularly on television and radio.
Tomáš will be greatly missed at the EMCDDA and we send our condolences to his family and friends.
