Union Health Minister and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan will be the next Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
As per the election procedure formality, on May 22, Dr. Vardhan will take charge as the Chairperson at WHO’s Executive Board’s meeting.
Union Health Minister and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan
Last year WHO’s South-East Asia group had unitedly decided that India would be elected as a member of the Executive Board for a three-year term. Also, in this meeting, it was decided that New Delhi’s nominee would be the Executive Board Chairperson for the first year.
Dr Vardhan will supersede Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan who is the advisor for international affairs to Japan’s Minister of Health. Presently Dr Vardhan is leading the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Vardhan will chair the 34-member Executive Board of the WHO. He will be mandated to assure the enactment of the World Health Assembly decisions. The World Health Assembly is the decision making body of WHO. He will be accompanied by the incumbent director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
After completing one-year tenure as WHA chairperson, Dr Vardhan will continue his role as a member of the Assembly for two consecutive years. He will also weigh in shortlisting the next WHO director-general.
India is all set to investigate the hidden facts of coronavirus originated in China’s Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing.
