Dr Donald Mackay, who was Deputy Director of the Ross Institute at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, died in 1981 after many years of outstanding work in tropical occupational health, especially on the tea plantations of South Asia. He was an outstanding physician, brilliant teacher, and a man of the greatest integrity and commitment.

The regulations for the award of the Donald Mackay Medal have been agreed by the Trustees of the Mackay Memorial Fund and the Councils of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and are as follows:

The medal will be awarded annually; in alternating years by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

The award will be for outstanding work in tropical health, especially relating to improvements in the health of rural or urban workers in the tropics.

Preference will be given to suitable medically qualified candidates, but those in other disciplines are eligible.

It will next be awarded in 2010 by RSTMH and in 2011 by ASTMH.

Previous recipients