Soumya Swaminathan selected as new Deputy DG at WHO

This is for the first time an Indian has been selected as a Deputy DG at WHO. The team represents 14 countries, including all WHO regions.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research, has been selected as Deputy Director General for Programmes (DDP) at World Health Organization.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced his senior leadership team, which includes former ministers of health, leading physicians, scientists and researchers, and programmatic experts in universal health coverage, health emergencies, communicable and non-communicable diseases and climate and environmental health among other fields.

Dr Swaminathan said universal health coverage would be one of the priority areas. “It is a proud moment as India’s role is being recognised in the field of public health,” Dr Swaminathan told The Indian Express.

This is for the first time an Indian has been selected as a Deputy DG at WHO. The team represents 14 countries, including all WHO regions.

Dr Swaminathan has more than 30 years of experience in clinical care, research and translating those findings into programmes. “I will be resuming charge within a month,” she said.