Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has died, Dartmouth College said Monday. He was 96.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued the following statement:
I am deeply saddened by the passing of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Dr. Koop was a fearless public servant and a pioneering pediatric surgeon. I was honored to have worked with him on several occasions.
During his nearly eight years as “America’s Family Doctor,” he not only advised Americans about improving their health, he brought important public health issues to the country’s attention.
He was a powerful and early voice in the fight against AIDS, and will long be remembered as the surgeon general who educated America about this disease.
Dr. Koop was also vocal about reducing tobacco use and stopping people from taking up smoking. While surgeon general, he issued eight reports on tobacco, including the nation’s first on the health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, and we are grateful for his public service.
A statement from Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin follows:
great American; I, like many others, lost a mentor and a friend.
As surgeon general from January 1982 until October 1989, Dr. Koop proved to be an outspoken advocate on public health issues. The problem of tobacco was one that he attacked particularly vigorously.
As the nation began to recognize AIDS as a new and deadly disease, Surgeon General Koop became an influential voice in educating Americans. Dr. Koop released “Understanding AIDS,” a U.S. Public Health Service brochure based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which was sent to 107 million households in the United States in 1988, the largest public health mailing ever done.
When I assumed the role of surgeon general, Dr. Koop sat down with me on what would become the first of numerous occasions to offer guidance and support. We often prayed together.
The nation and the world will miss a most notable public health figure.
