Saima Wazed Nominated as WHO South-East Asia Regional Director

Akif Wani | November 1, 2023 | 08:41 PM IST | Asia, World | Follow on Google News

Saima Wazed Nominated as WHO South-East Asia Regional Director

Saima Wazed Nominated as WHO South-East Asia Regional Director

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, has been nominated as the next Regional Director for the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region. She emerged victorious in a vote held during the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia Region, defeating Shambu Acharya, a public health veteran from Nepal. The election was attended by 10 out of 11 member countries in the region, excluding Myanmar.

New Leadership for WHO South-East Asia Region

The nomination of Saima Wazed will be presented to the WHO Executive Board during its 154th session, scheduled for January 22-27 in Geneva, Switzerland. Her official assumption of office as the Regional Director is set for February 1, succeeding the current incumbent, Poonam Khetrapal Singh. Saima Wazed expressed her commitment to addressing critical healthcare challenges in the region, emphasizing universal health coverage, emergency response, pandemic preparedness, collaboration, and mental health.

Focused Priorities in WHO South-East Asia Region

Saima Wazed, the newly appointed Regional Director, acknowledged the immense responsibility of overseeing a region with over two billion inhabitants, emphasizing the need to address healthcare disparities within member states. Her key areas of focus include promoting community-based mental healthcare services, prevention and promotion of mental health, and integrating mental health into the public health agenda. The election result received positive responses, with Swarup Sarkar, a former Director of WHO SEARO, highlighting the collective determination of member states to support Saima Wazed’s vision for the region.

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Akif Wani