Dyson Blair

Scientist

Dyson Blair was born in 1907 in Fiji. He trained and qualified as a medical doctor in Edinburg, Scotland .

Dr Blair was in 1931 appointed as the Government of Rhodesia medical officer. He soon made a good reputation in field studies particularly in trypanosomiasis, which is carried by tsetse flies.

After the Second World War he became Director of Preventive Services and established the School of Hygiene Assistance at Domboshawa which would play a significant role in the promotion of good health in the countries rural communities. Dr Blair also initiated a successful prevention campaign against malaria and pursued research into schistosomiasis (bilharzia), and was subsequently appointed a Consultant to the World Health Organisation. In 1958 he became the Federal Secretary for Health retiring in 1964 after the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He spent the next the later years of his life in voluntary research at the Ministry of Healalaria and Bilharzia Research Laboratory which was named the Blair Research Laboratory in commemoration of him.The Blair Research Lab has been renamed the National Institute of Health Research.

He was awarded many honours by the British Government including OBE, the CMG and Honorary Fellowship of the Zimbabwe Scientific Association