Minister at the President’s Office Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Hussain Shareef has been appointed Chairman of WHO Executive Board Committee.
He becomes the second Maldivian to hold the post, with former health minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela appointed to the role before leaving her cabinet position last year.
The WHO Executive Board is composed of 34 persons who are technically qualified in the field of health, each designated by a member state that has been elected to serve a three-year term. The Maldives’ term concludes this year.
Mundhu has previously served as President’ Office spokesman and minister of youth and sports.
The WHO Executive Board’s 136th session is taking place in Geneva from today (January 26) until February 3, and will agree upon the agenda for the May 2015 World Health Assembly.
Priority issues to be discussed are communicable and noncommunicable diseases; promoting health through the life course; preparedness, surveillance and response; and health systems as well as matters relating to programme, budget, management and governance, and WHO reform.
