19 October 2015 - Geneva, Switzerland - The Stop TB Partnership is deeply saddened by the death of Dr Diego Zallocco on 17 October 2015 after an illness over the past 18 months. Diego was a long-time friend, collaborator and ally working in the global fight against TB.
Diego Zallocco was a Board Certified Microbiologist from Italy who joined the Global TB Programme, WHO, Geneva in August 2013. Diego brought with him extensive field experience in improving the laboratory diagnosis of TB, having worked with MSF India as a laboratory consultant for the municipal TB control programme in Mumbai from 2000-2002. In 2004, he joined the WHO European Region (EURO) as a Laboratory Officer in the Russian Federation and was a member of the Laboratory Strengthening Taskforce established by WHO-EURO in 2005. In 2006, Diego joined the WHO TB Supranational Reference Laboratory at the Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milan, Italy (a key technical partner to WHO), where he provided much appreciated technical support to several low- and middle-income countries with a high incidence of TB. Diego was well-known and highly respected for his competence and understanding of the challenges around implementing new TB diagnostic strategies at country level. He also had a flair for TB research and managed a large-scale project - the Pan-European Network for the Clinical Management of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis before joining WHO in Geneva. In the Global TB Programme, Diego was a much liked, highly respected colleague and a greatly valued member of the Laboratories Diagnostics and Drug Resistance Unit.
Our deepest condolences go out especially to his wife and family. Those of us that knew and worked with him will miss his smile, wisdom and humour forever.