New Delhi: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who is at the forefront of India’s battle against COVID-19, is set to take charge as the chairman of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board on May 22, officials said on Tuesday.
Mr Vardhan would succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan, currently the Chairman of the 34-member WHO Executive Board.
The proposal to appoint India’s nominee to the executive board was signed by the 194-nation World Health Assembly on Tuesday, officials said on condition of anonymity.
His taking over the post seems to be a formality after the decision that he will be India’s nominee as the WHO’s South-East Asia group had unanimously decided last year that India would be elected to the executive board for a three-year-term beginning May.
Mr Vardhan would be elected at the Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organisation on May 22, the officials said.
The chairman’s post is held by rotation for one year among regional groups and it was decided last year that India’s nominee would be the Executive Board chairman for the first year starting Friday.
It is not a full time assignment and the minister will just be required to chair the Executive Board’s meetings, an official said.
The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a member state elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. Member States are elected for three-year terms.
The Board meets at least twice a year and the main meeting is normally in January, with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly.
The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.
Addressing the 73rd World Health Assembly via video conferencing on Monday, Mr Vardhan had said India took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had asserted that the country has done well in dealing with the disease and is confident of doing better in the months to come.
India is set to take over the chairmanship of the Executive Board amid growing calls, including by US President Donald Trump, to investigate how the coronavirus originated in China”s Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing.
Amazon announces new layoffs in books division, including Kindle and Goodreads roles
India won the Presidency of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the 2025–2028 term
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the National Waste Picker Enumeration App as part of the NAMASTE initiative
The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project will be completed when the Indian Prime Minister formally opens the Chenab Railway Bridge
India launched the "Ayush Nivesh Saarthi" platform: to establish India as a global centre for wellness and traditional medicine entrepreneurship
RBI flags limited policy room after 50 bps rate cut, signals cautious road ahead
Bollywood icon Jeetendra sells 2.3-acre Mumbai Andheri land for ₹855 crore to tech giant
PM Modi opens world’s highest rail bridge, flags off Kashmir’s first Vande Bharat
SC pushes NEET PG to August 3, orders single-shift exam to restore fairness
Elon Musk threatens to pull Dragon spacecraft as feud with Trump escalates
Amazon announces new layoffs in books division, including Kindle and Goodreads roles
India won the Presidency of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the 2025–2028 term
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the National Waste Picker Enumeration App as part of the NAMASTE initiative
The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project will be completed when the Indian Prime Minister formally opens the Chenab Railway Bridge
India launched the "Ayush Nivesh Saarthi" platform: to establish India as a global centre for wellness and traditional medicine entrepreneurship
RBI flags limited policy room after 50 bps rate cut, signals cautious road ahead
Bollywood icon Jeetendra sells 2.3-acre Mumbai Andheri land for ₹855 crore to tech giant
PM Modi opens world’s highest rail bridge, flags off Kashmir’s first Vande Bharat
SC pushes NEET PG to August 3, orders single-shift exam to restore fairness
Elon Musk threatens to pull Dragon spacecraft as feud with Trump escalates
Copyright© educationpost.in 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Designed and Developed by @Pyndertech