| Honorific Prefix: | Sir |
| Birth Name: | Alexander Wiseman MacAra |
| Birth Date: | 1932 5, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Citizenship: | British |
| Alma Mater: | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
Alexander Wiseman MacAra [1] (4 May 1932 – 21 June 2012), also known as Sandy MacAra, was a Scottish professor of epidemiology at Bristol University and chairman of British Medical Association (BMA) from 1993 to 1998.[2] [3]
Alexander Wiseman MacAra was born on 4 May 1932 in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland.[4] Both his father and grandfather were Church of Scotland Ministers. [5] Marion, his mother, was a civil servant. When he was six years old, MacAra was treated for paratyphoid fever, acute appendicitis and whooping cough.
MacAra was educated at Irvine Royal Academy.[5] He studied at the Glasgow Medical School, Glasgow University, graduating with a medical degree in 1958.[6] He went on to gain a DPH from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1960.
From 1993 to 1998 MacAra was the chair of the ruling council of British Medical Association (BMA). He was consultant to the World Health Organisation (for over 20 years), and he was president of the National Heart Forum. He was a member of the Council of the General Medical Council (GMC)
MacAra played a key role in smoking ban in public places which was introduced in 2007. In 2009 he called for the MMR vaccine to be made compulsory following an unfounded health scare which resulted in a fall in the take up rate of the vaccine within the UK.
MacAra was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP). In 1992 he received an honorary degree- Honorary Doctor of Public Health, Athens. He was created a Knight Bachelor in the 1998 Birthday Honours for services to the medical profession.[7]
MacAra was married to Sylvia and they had two children, a daughter, Alexandra, and a son, James.[8] He died on 21 June 2012.[8]