Page 435 - HIVMED_v21_i1.indb

Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine
ISSN: (Online) 2078-6751, (Print) 1608-9693
Page 1 of 1 Obituary

Dr Dennis Sifris: In memorium

Dr Dennis Sifris, a pioneer in the field of HIV in South Africa, died in July 2020 of colonic cancer.
In memorial:
Dr Dennis Sifris He was 75 years old.
1945 – 2020
In 1984, Dennis and the late Professor Reuben Sher established South Africa’s first HIV Clinic at
the Johannesburg Hospital (now the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital). The
HIV pandemic had come to the attention of the medical community three years earlier because of
the deaths of a large number of young men in the United States of America (USA). Homosexuality
was banned and prosecuted in South Africa in that era. Dennis and Reuben made it their business
to identify the infected and to provide them with care and support. It was at a time when the
clinicians faced ridicule or censure from colleagues for their support of homosexuals and the HIV
infected.
Author:
David C. Spencer 1
The lives of multiplied thousands were saved. Health workers have been trained. Medical
Affiliations: students have become professors. The practice of HIV medicine has been influenced by South
1 Division of Infectious African scientists and researchers who were trained in the clinic. This too, is Dennis’ legacy.
Diseases, Department of
Medicine, Helen Joseph Dennis was loud. He was visible. He had marched with Larry Kramer in New York and
Hospital, University of the
Witwatersrand, Los Angeles and witnessed the birth of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis movement in that country.
Johannesburg, South Africa [Larry died in New York in May this year]. Dennis’ activism was a catalyst in this process. Others
such as The AIDS Law Project, the Treatment Action Campaign, the Stop Stock-Outs project, and
Corresponding author: the Southern African HIV Clinicians’ Society, followed this process. Perhaps our combined action
David Spencer,
[email protected] in 2002 and 2003 ensured antiretroviral treatment for all South African citizens and helped to end
a denialist presidency.
How to cite this article:
Spencer DC. Dr Dennis Sifris: For much of Dennis’ career, he ran a large private practice in Johannesburg. In 1999, he joined a
In memorium. S Afr J HIV
Med. 2020;21(1), a1143. South African Healthcare Management company (LifeSense HIV Disease Management) as Chief
https://doi.org/10.4102/ Medical Officer. Private practice ‘had taken its toll’, he said. In this new position he oversaw the
sajhivmed.v21i1.1143 care of more than 120,000 people living with HIV. More recently, he moved with his partner
Copyright: (Jamie) to the USA. Dennis is a cofounder of the SA HIV Clinicians’ Society and was active in local
© 2020. The Author. HIV-conferences and despite his recent ill health, maintained an interest in all things related to
Licensee: AOSIS. This work HIV in his patients in South Africa.
is licensed under the
Creative Commons Dennis, how should we measure your time with us? Thank you for friendship, for colouring our
Attribution License.
lives with laughter and for me – surprise. For being impossible (embarrassing) when that was
needed. Thank you for caring for the sick. Thank you for the lives you saved. Thank you for
accepting graciously my criticism of your clinic notes – not enough detail! Ooh! – when I was
chief. Dennis, thank you for giving a human face to HIV and AIDS, and for being yourself. From
all of us in the Clinicians’ Society, “Ti sei perso”. (You are missed). And to Jamie, our heartfelt
condolences.

DC Spencer, Editor-in-Chief

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to read online. Note: Photo of Dr Dennis Sifris provided by Lauren Jankelowitz. Republished with permission from André van Bassen of LifeSense Disease
Management.
http://www.sajhivmed.org.za 427 Open Access