WHO announces new leadership, including professor who has been with Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for 17 years

The new appointments come after Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was reappointed to a second five-year term as WHO Director-General, according to a press release issued by WHO on the afternoon of April 17. The leadership team at headquarters, which includes an equal number of men and women, will work alongside WHO’s regional and country offices.

The newly appointed leadership includes scientists who have recently joined WHO or taken up new positions, including:

Professor - Dr. Jeremy Farrar, will officially hold the position of Scientific Director of WHO from May 8 after the decision was announced in December 2022. He has been Director of the Wellcome Trust (headquartered in the UK) since 2013. Before that, he had 17 years as Director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU - UK) located at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam.

WHO's new Chief Science Officer Jeremy Farrar - Photo: WELLCOME TRUST

"In this role, Dr Farrar will oversee the Science Directorate, which brings together the best experts and networks in science and innovation from around the world to guide, develop and deliver high-quality health policies and services to those who need them most," WHO said.

Dr. Ailan Li will become Assistant Director-General for Global Health Insurance - Healthy Populations. Dr. Li has been WHO Representative to Cambodia since 2019 and former Regional Emergency Director for the Western Pacific .

Dr. Yukiko Nakatani will become Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Medical Products from May 2. Dr. Nakatani is the former Director of the Division of Disease and Cancer Control at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.

Dr Razia Pendse will become Chief of Staff to the WHO Director-General from 4 May. Dr Pendse is the former Director of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Programme for Healthier Populations and Noncommunicable Diseases and WHO Representative to Sri Lanka.

Dr. Jérôme Salomon will become Assistant Director General for Global Health Insurance - Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases from April 17. He is the former Director General of the French Health Service.

Dr Bruce Aylward has been appointed Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Sciences Division, effective 4 May. He is the former Head of the Transformation Agenda at WHO.

Dr Catharina Boehme will become Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance from 4 May. She is a former Chief of Staff to the WHO Director-General and former Executive Director of FIND, the international alliance for diagnostics.

In addition, a number of senior personnel will be reappointed by WHO in the next term, including Executive Director of the Emergency Program Mike Ryan.

Director of the Emergency Program Mike Ryan will continue to hold the position - Photo: WHO

Dr Samira Asma, Assistant Director-General for Data, Analysis and Delivery for Impact; Dr Hanan Balkhy, Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance; Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General for Health Emergencies Surveillance and Notification Systems under the Emergencies Programme; and Mr Raul Thomas, Assistant Director-General for Business Operations; were also reappointed by WHO.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/who-cong-bo-ban-lanh-dao-moi-gom-giao-su-gan-bo-voi-bv-benh-nhiet-doi-tp-hcm-17-nam-20230417180053272.htm