Endre Morava was born in Zalaegerszeg, on 27th August, 1939. After completing his secondary studies
at the reputed Apáczai Csere János Grammar School in Budapest, he studied medicine at the Medical University of Budapest
(1958-64) and graduated Sub auspiciis...
Thanks to his diligence, outstanding talent and teaching ability, he began working
as demonstrator in the Institute of Pathology of the University even as a university student (1962-64), and was soon recognised as an eminent member of
Professor Sós’ study group also. After graduation he began his professional carrier as a junior member of research staff
at the National Institute of Food and Nutrition Science. In a short while he set on a research focusing on the factors
influencing bone metabolism, under the leadership of Professor Róbert Tarján, Director of the Institute. Dr. Endre Morava
continued this research work in Cambridge in 1968-69, under the guidance of Professor Kodicek. As a result of his
undisputed achievements, and his apparent talent in teaching young research workers and members of the Institute, he
became head of the Department of Nutrition Physiology in the Institute in 1976. In the next year he defended his doctoral
thesis on the “Role Of Vitamin D3 And Some Of Its Metabolites In Bone Metabolism”.
His professional interests encompassed a wide spectrum; he researched the physiological and toxicological effects of
microelements, he worked hard to identify the factors determining human nutrient requirements and nutritional status,
and he focused on issues of food safety also. The mental and physiological development of the youth, the examination of
environmental factors influencing the health status of adolescents, as well as the establishment and strengthening of
health protection programs for the schools were all issues very close to his heart. He manifested a special interest in
questions concerning the ways of preventing diseases that determined the health status of the general population, and he
was also interested in working out strategies and methods for the nationwide prevention of hypertension. This talented
researcher was a talented teacher as well. As he loved teaching, he applied in 1983 for the job of university professor
and director of the Institute of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Medical University of Pécs, and his
application was successful.
His versatile talents and wide scope of knowledge permitted him to profit from
his practical experience in research and education, and so he was able to continue as the head of the Public Health and
Epidemiology Station of Baranya County in 1988, and 3 years later he became the Chief Medical Officer of this County.
His experience and achievements in theoretical and empirical work obviously played an important role in the fact that
he was actually offered the position of national Chief Medical Officer in 1995, which he accepted. He directed
successfully the activities related to national public health and epidemiology, nevertheless his heart pulled him back
to education and the formation of youth. So he became director of the Public Health Institute of the Semmelweis
University, Budapest in 1997, and he retired from this position in 2004.
Professor Morava was known for his thoroughness, immense knowledge of medical literature, excellent presentations that
he delivered with subtle humour and also for his decency. Apart from his diverging activities he was also a member of a
number of Hungarian scientific associations - he was the President of the Hungarian Society of Hygienists, the Scientific
Council of Public Health, again a member of the board of the Hungarian Society of Nutrition and also the European Academy
of Nutrition Sciences. Beside all this, he still had energy to be the Hungarian Director of the WHO CINDI Program as
well. The immense work, the continual workload and his constant demand for himself to always perform at the maximum
level finally undermined his health. He suffered his long-lasting illness with great patience, and he died in his home
on 27th August, 2007.
Professor Morava was an outstanding, highly respected scientist of Hungarian public health, nutrition sciences. He will always be remembered and missed by his students and the experts of today and the future with high respect and gratitude.
Central European Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Hungarian Society of Nutrition |