Prof. Sir Robert Edwards who passed away this week will always be remembered worldwide for his pioneering work on in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique, which helped couples with fertility problems to have a baby. His groundbreaking research of IVF technique gave birth to Louise Brown — the world’s first test tube baby — in 1978.
For all those couples who had lost all hopes to start a family, Prof Edward’s path-breaking and painstaking research along with his colleague Patrick Steptoe, brought happiness and joy to millions of families all over the world. Today IVF treatment is used worldwide and has successfully resulted in more than five million babies.
Prof. Edwards won the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine in 2010. A year later, he was knighted for “services to human reproductive biology.” Prof. Edwards always was motivated by his belief, which he once described it, “the most important thing in life is having a child.”
Mankind will always remember this visionary scientist. His death is a great loss to all of us. We all hope that his legacy will live on with all the IVF work being carried out throughout the world and which will be further improved. — Ramesh G. Jethwani, Bangalore
Death of a legend
