Graham Wallace

Past pupil Graham Wallace was regarded as ‘the father of public health’ in Zambia.

The Grammarian wishes to pay a richly deserved, albeit belated tribute to past pupil Graham Wallace, who was a pioneer of environmental health in Zambia. Indeed, after his death on 12 December 2016 he was described as ‘the father of public health’ in the African country, where he had helped to save the lives of many thousands of people.

Graham Dudley Wallace, who was born on 15 August 1933, joined Bangor Grammar School in 1948. In his senior years he played rugby for the 1st XV and also swam for the school team. Both were enduring interests – he enjoyed swimming in the sea all year round and also played rugby for the town side.

He trained to be a health inspector, holding a senior position with Antrim County Council from 1954-57. He moved to Kenya with his wife Ann in 1957, commencing the three-day journey to Africa on the day of their marriage! In time Graham was appointed County Health Inspector for Sirikwa Council, covering an area the size of Wales and with a population of 550,000. He set up environmental health centres and was part of the programme that eliminated smallpox.

It was, however, the role he would subsequently play in Zambia that earned him the greatest acclaim. At a memorial service, held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka on 14 January 2017, Yoram Siulapwa, representing the Dean of the University of Zambia’s School of Public Health and the Zambia Institute of Environmental Health, said they regarded Graham as “a legend, pioneer and father of Environmental Health” in the country.

Graham had arrived in Zambia from Kenya in 1966. The Zambian Government recruited him to spearhead training for Health Inspectors at Evelyn Hone College. In time four more expatriate Health Inspectors were recruited from the UK to assist with the newly-introduced training programme, which met the requirements of the UK Royal Society of Health (and would ultimately become a degree course).

Mr Siulapwa completed his training in just the second class, in 1970, and four years later was persuaded by Graham to join him as the first Zambian lecturer in Public Health Inspection at the College.

During their 12 years together he found his colleague to be “extremely punctual, hardworking and honest, a decent man and a wonderful man to work with.” Mr Siulapwa continued: “He had a great passion for environmental health and would not do anything to compromise the quality of training.”

He added: “Over 80% of health problems presented at health clinics and hospitals in Zambia are attributed to preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and malaria, to mention just a few, and yet these diseases can be eradicated by keeping the environment clean and healthy. This is what Mr Wallace spent most of his life doing in Zambia – training us to keep our environment clean and healthy.”

Following Graham’s retirement in 1989, he continued assisting health professionals in many ways; as a result the Environmental Health Block at the University of Zambia was named ‘Graham Wallace House’ in his honour.

His many other interests included serving as Deputy Commissioner of the St John Ambulance (1983-89) and as Managing Director of the Tobacco Association of Zambia (1989-99). He was a stalwart of the Zambian Agricultural and Commercial Show, holding the position of chairman from 1986-88 and meeting both the Queen and Prince Philip, as well as many African presidents.

Also speaking at the memorial service, son Michael recounted many episodes from his father’s busy life. He could brew his own beer and was an accomplished photographer. The many trees he planted, including palms and baobabs, would serve as a further lasting memory. He developed an equestrian centre in Lusaka that is still going today.

When his children’s bicycles were stolen he followed the thieves’ tracks while armed with a Maasai spear and managed to retrieve them. On the other side of the coin, Graham was shot and wounded by armed robbers (a worker beside him was killed) while building the family home, but he never considered leaving Zambia, his home for more than 50 years.

“We can say with hands on our hearts that our father had a positive effect on us, his family, on the people around him, and on this country,” Michael added.

Graham was devoted to wife Ann, daughters Cathie and Karen, son Michael and the wider family circle. Sympathy is extended to them all and also to brother Jim (in Bangor) and sister Elizabeth (South Carolina, USA) on their loss.

Terence Bowman