Dr. Ted Lankester
Adviser & Travel Medicine Specialist
Ted’s twin medical interests have always been in global health, especially community health care in resource-poor countries, and in the healthcare of those working with faith-based and humanitarian organisations
Before becoming a Family Doctor in London for 7 years, he travelled extensively on expeditions, overland trips from London to India, and worked and studied in Nepal and Iran. He spent a year at Theological College. After leaving London he had an unexpected vocational call and moved with his wife and 3 under-5 children to work in the Himalayas where for 7 years. He and his Indian colleagues pioneered ways of enabling remote communities to prevent and treat up to 70% of their health problems themselves, largely through training community health workers.
Returning from India, he co-founded InterHealth and worked there initially as Director and later in a variety of roles until 2017. For a number of years he was also Assistant Editor of Tropical Doctor and on the board of Tearfund
In 2005 he set up an initiative originally called Community Health Global Network now renamed Arukah Network for Global Community Health. This works collaboratively with communities in new approaches to health and development, currently working in seven countries
In 2008 he co-chaired, with the Deputy Director General of WHO, a two day consultation on the role of NGOs and Faith Based Organisations in the revitalisation of primary health care. He became a Founder-Fellow of the Faculty of Travel Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He was on the Leadership Council of the International Society of Travel Medicine where he co-founded and led the special interest group on the mental health of travellers
Ted has written several books on travel health, including the Berlitz Travel Health Guide as well as chapters in academic textbooks on the health of expatriates and humanitarian workers. He is currently working as author and co-editor on the 4th Edition of a large scale book entitled Setting up Community Health Programmes in low and middle income countries, being published by Oxford University Press in 2018.
Ted’s wider interests include enjoying my extended family, the role of the church in helping to transform society, trail-running, travel, the environment and various ways of relaxing and enjoying life. He continues to work as a practising clinician.
Ted is based in the UK.
