India-origin global health expert Anil Soni has been appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer of the newly established The WHO Foundation. The WHO Foundation will work alongside the World Health Organisation to tackle the most pressing health challenges around the world.
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Key-Points
The Geneva-headquartered Foundation is an independent grant-making agency launched this May to complement the World Health Organization’s efforts (WHO) in addressing urgent global health challenges.
As a separate legal entity, the Foundation acts as a platform for new types of public-private engagement, while protecting the WHO’s neutrality and independence as the world’s leading international health authority.
Mr Soni will assume his role as The WHO Foundation’s inaugural Chief Executive Officer on January 1 next year.
Soni’s appointment adds to the list of Indian-origin health experts being recently named to top-jobs, including Vivek Murthy as the United States Surgeon General.
The WHO itself has Soumya Swaminathan as its Chief Scientist; she had joined the WHO as Deputy Director General in 2017.
