Briton in line for WHO job
Thursday January 26th, 2017
A British doctor has been short-listed for the job of director general of the World Health Organisation, it was announced yesterday.
Dr David Nabarro is one of three applicants who are being considered
for the post. The appointment will be made in May by a vote of the World
Health Assembly, which has representatives from all WHO member states.
Dr Nabarro was nominated by the British government for the post. He is a public health specialist who has spent the last 12 years leading special United Nations task forces on some of the key health challenges of the century.
His rivals for the job are Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, from Ethiopia, and Dr Sania Nishtar, from Pakistan.
The contest is to be fought like a public election. The candidates have their own web pages and campaign financing.
Dr Nabarro says tasks on which he has led, for the UN, include avian and pandemic flu, food security and malnutrition, Ebola and climate change.
He says: "Our world is challenged by a changing climate, violent conflict, persistent poverty and mass migration. The benefits of globalisation and new technologies remain unequally shared. As a result, people face an ever-growing avalanche of threats to their health.
"I have worked on such issues for over 40 years."
He adds: "WHO’s performance should lead it to be recognised as the world’s specialised agency for health, earning and maintaining trust of governments, communities and people."
Tags: Africa | Asia | General Health | UK News | World Health
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