GENEVA, April 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — World Health Organization (WHO) has reappointed Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to his second five-year term as Director-General and appointed five new senior figures to its headquarters leadership team in Geneva.
The overall leadership team has been consolidated to align with the Organization’s priorities for the next five years and will work closely with the Director-General to drive forward these priorities and WHO’s ambitious transformation agenda.
To accelerate progress on implementation of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13), and achievement of its “triple billion” targets and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, WHO’s work for the coming five years is focused on five priorities.
They include making a paradigm shift towards promoting health and preventing disease by addressing its root causes. Radically reorienting health systems towards primary health care as well as strengthening the systems for health emergency preparedness and response.
Additionally WHO will prioritise harnessing the power of science, innovation, data and technologies to advance health. Similarly there are also plans to strengthen WHO as the leading authority on global health and to achieve impact in countries.
The headquarters leadership team, comprising equal numbers of women and men, will work jointly with WHO regional and country offices.
New members of the headquarters leadership team include:
. Dr Jeremy Farrar who will become WHO’s Chief Scientist as of May 8.
. Dr Ailan Li as the Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Healthier Populations as of 8 May 2023.
. Dr Yukiko Nakatani will work as the Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products as of May 2.
. Dr Razia Pendse will become the Chef de Cabinet as of May 4, and Dr Jérôme Salomon will be the Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases as of April 17.
The portfolios of existing members of the headquarters leadership team: Dr Samira Asma will continue as the Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact.
. Dr Bruce Aylward has been appointed Assistant Director-General of the Universal Health Coverage, Life Course Division as of May 4.
. Dr Hanan Balkhy will continue as Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance.
. Dr Catharina Boehme will become Assistant Director-General, External Relations and Governance as of May 4.
. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu will continue as Assistant Director-General for the Division of Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems in the Emergencies Programme.
. Dr Michael Ryan will continue as Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. . . . Raul Thomas will continue as Assistant Director-General for Business Operations. — NNN-AGENCIES
