Carlos Canseco González (March 17, 1921, in Tampico, Mexico – January 14, 2009, in Monterrey, Mexico) was a Mexican physician and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. In January 2002 he was honored as one of the "Public Health Heroes of the Americas" by the

Pan American Health Organization The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) in charge of international health cooperation in the Americas. It fosters technical cooperation among member countries to fight communicable and non ...

. Canseco graduated from the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

(UNAM) with a doctorate in medicine and specialized in allergy at the

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and in clinical immunology at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. Back in Mexico he taught the first course of

allergology Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...

at the University of Nuevo León (UANL) and raised money to build the first Children's Hospital in

Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

. In 1950 he co-founded the Monterrey Football Club and joined

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

, a philanthropic organization he chaired worldwide in 1984. As president of Rotary International and inspired by Francisco Balmis he launched an international campaign to eradicate

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

by using an aerosol

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

he co-developed with Albert Sabin in 1982. Canseco served as

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

's state secretary of health and has received honorary degrees from several universities including the

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the SKY (universities), SKY universities and a part of the Flagship Korean National Universities. The university's main c ...

in South Korea. On October 7,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

he received the Belisario Domínguez Medal from the Mexican Senate. Canseco died on January 14, 2009, in Monterrey, Nuevo León. Leaving a legacy of knowledge and development in the Northern Capital.

References

External links

*List of th
Public Health Heroes
by the

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Canseco, Carlos 1921 births 2009 deaths Mexican immunologists National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Northwestern University alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni Academic staff of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León Physicians from Mexico City Recipients of the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor C.F. Monterrey Rotary International leaders Mexican expatriates in the United States