The head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed as the Deputy Director-general of the WHO, the second-highest post in the organisation, and the highest ever to be held by an Indian. She is profoundly known for her research work in TB and HIV.
WHO: Dr Soumya Swaminathan was, on Tuesday, appointed as the Deputy Director General for programmes.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr Soumya Swaminathan appointed as the WHO Deputy director general.
- The 58-year-old is the current head of the ICMR.
- She is profoundly known for her research work in TB and HIV.
Dr Swaminathan currently holds senior positions as the chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) , and as a secretary of the Department of Health Research In the Health Ministry of India.
The 58-year-old Paediatrician and Clinical Scientist is known profoundly for her research work in Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV.
Her appointment in WHO was announced by the Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday morning.
Dr Soumya will be taking over as the head of the WHO Programmes.
According to an official tweet from WHO on Tuesday, "Dr Soumya Swaminathan will be WHO Deputy Director General for Programmes."
Another vacant post, ie the Deputy Director General for Corporate Operations (DDC) was awarded to Jane Ellison, a Special Parliamentary Adviser to the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer.
A WHO announcement describes Dr Soumya as "a globally recognised researcher on tuberculosis and HIV, she brings with her 30 years of experience in clinical care and research and has worked throughout her career to translate research into impactful programmes".
Dr Soumya is the daughter of MS Swaminathan, world-renowned agriculture scientist, who is famously considered as the father of the Indian green revolution.
Dr Soumya graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, holds an MD degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Later, she went on to do a fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
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