A Tribute to Dr Margie Peden
Last week, we learned with sadness of the passing of our former Executive Committee member, colleague and friend, Dr Margie Peden. Margie was a towering presence in global public health and one of the world’s most influential advocates for injury prevention. Her passing leaves a deep void, but her legacy – scientific, professional and personal – continues to shape the field and all who had the privilege of working alongside her.
Margie began her career as a nurse in Cape Town, spending more than a decade in intensive care before transitioning into epidemiology and trauma research. She went on to complete her PhD at the University of Cape Town, focusing on pedestrian traffic trauma. These early experiences grounded her lifelong commitment to addressing the heavy burden of preventable injuries, particularly in low‑ and middle‑income countries.
Her 17 years at the World Health Organization (WHO) marked a period of extraordinary impact. Joining WHO in 2000, Margie coordinated the Unintentional Injury Prevention team and later served in key global leadership roles, including as coordinator of the Road Safety in 10 Countries (RS10) initiative – the precursor to the current Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). She was instrumental in producing several of WHO’s most influential global reports, including the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention and the World Report on Child Injury Prevention. These publications laid essential foundations for global policy, priority‑setting and national action on injury prevention.
Beyond WHO, Margie continued to advance the field through her work with The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, the University of New South Wales and Johns Hopkins University. Over the course of her career, she authored or co‑authored more than 100 publications, shaping global understanding of road safety and injury risk mitigation. But Margie’s contributions extended far beyond her technical achievements. She was a beloved partner, sister, friend and mentor – someone whose warmth, empathy and encouragement opened doors for countless young professionals. She led with generosity and conviction, always placing human lives ahead of all else.
Though her passing leaves us heartbroken, her dedication to creating a safer world endures in the many lives she touched and the global impact of her work. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered with admiration, gratitude and affection. Margie was, truly, ‘one of the good ones’.
