Kenneth Walker

Henry Kenneth Walker - Professor of medicine and neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, professor of global health at Rollins School of Public Health, Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi and Georgia.

Walker was also committed to global health outreach. He worked in many countries and had a huge impact in the country of Georgia. It should be emphasized that the first time Professor Kennett Walker visited Georgia within the framework of the USAID program "Georgia to Georgia" in 1992. Executive Director of Partners for International Development (PFID), Walker led the Atlanta-Tbilisi Partnership, a collaboration between educational and health care institutions in the country of Georgia and the State of Georgia.

With his support and efforts, exchange programs were launched for students, clinical and academic staff, and young professionals between the medical schools of Tbilisi and Emory University. Ken Walker has been a career supporter for many young Georgians in the United States. Ken Walker's leadership has led the development of healthcare management programs for mid-level hospital administrators. Under his leadership a modern emergency room department and residency program in Emergency Medicine have been established, practical nurses were trained, the Nursing School started working (which still provides post- graduate education and certification of nurses). Later, in 2018, the "Georgian-American Nursing Community College" was established; Working activities were begun with Georgian scientists and doctors on AIDS and TB.

Professor Walker played a major role involving American company “Gilead” as part of the Hepatitis C Elimination Project in Georgia. As a result of it the unique and expensive hepatitis C medicine created by Emory’s Professor Raymond Schinazi, co-founder of the Virology and Drug Discovery Center of the Immune Deficiency Syndrome Center (CFSR), was given to Georgia for free. Thousands of Georgian citizens have finally been cured of a serious illness within the framework of the "Hepatitis C Elimination Project.

Ken, as he was known to the Georgians, was instrumental in improvement of the ambulance and pre-hospital medical services in Georgia, as well as for development and popularization the nursing profession. For his work in international development, in 2005, USAID awarded Dr. Walker with “Outstanding Citizenship Achievement Award.” In the same year Walker was granted honorary citizenship of Georgia, and in 2011 - honorary citizenship of Tbilisi. In 2016, the Georgia State Hospital Association awarded him with the highest award of "Hospital Hero" for his lifelong contribution to medical education and the development of medicine.

In 2018 on the 1st of March Ken Walker Emory’s highest Alumni Award, Emory Medal was given to Dr. Kenneth Walker. Off all the prizes he had received in his life, Dr. Walker was most proud and honored of this recognition. He made special efforts to prepare for the award ceremony. Unfortunately, Dr. Walker died on February 23, 2018, at the age of 81 and was unable to personally accept The Medal.

Both, USA and Georgian Medical Societies around the world have suffered the greatest loss with the death of Ken Walker. The American professor, was buried next to his mother in his homeland, in the city of Washington, Georgia, in the USA.