Abdel Fattah Gabre, known as ‘Gabre’, was one of the best known professors of dermatology and venereology, not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East. 

Gabre was born in Cairo, Egypt. He attended primary school in Cairo, where he was always top of his class, and went to Kasr El Aini Medical College, Cairo University, where he qualified MBBCh in 1962.  

Gabre’s career was predominantly within the Egyptian Army, which he joined shortly after graduation. This was punctuated by a time (1977-78) spent working at the Royal Infirmary in Derby and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, under the supervision of Alan Lyell. During this time, he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians. In 1984, he joined Professor AB Ackerman in New York for 2 months’ study of dermatopathology. 

His military career was distinguished, reaching the rank of Major General Doctor and holding various positions including Director of the Military General Medical Council, then Chief of Staff of the Military Medical Services. This was combined with his chair in dermatology and venereology in the Egyptian Army hospitals and the Military Medical Academy. He retired after serving as the Vice President of the Military Medical Academy. 

He was an active member of the Egyptian Medical Association, and a member of the advisory board of the Egyptian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology. His many publications in the field included those on skin fungus infection, skin changes in hemodialyzed patients, skin manifestation of contraceptive pills and cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Outside medicine, in 1968 Gabre married Hend Abdel Samad, a civil engineer. They had three boys - Hadi, Haitham & Hisham. Gabre died in the military hospital on 19 July 2023 from cardiac complications as well as lungs and kidney malfunction. 

Haitham Gabre