WHO appoints first female Director for Africa Region
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appointed a new Director, Dr Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, for its Regional Office for Africa.
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The first woman ever to hold this position, Dr Moeti, who is from the Republic of Botswana, pledged to accord the highest priority to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa as she takes office.
Dr Moeti, begins her five-year term at a critical juncture, as the WHO begins major reforms adopted in the wake of the Ebola crisis.
A release issued by the organisation said Dr Moeti has outlined a bold programme of reform to make WHO’s African Regional Office a more agile and responsive agency.
She has pledged to finish the job on Ebola and work toward universal by Red AdBlocker" href="#">health coverage
to expand access to lifesaving health services and preventive care across the region — and to ensure countries are better-equipped to handle future public health threats.
Background
Dr Moeti, or ‘Tshidi’ as she is known to her friends, was born in a township near Johannesburg to two community doctors and moved to Botswana at the age of 11 to escape the Bantu education system.
Since her parents’ consultation rooms were an extension of their small home, Dr Moeti grew up watching people’s struggles to stay healthy and developed a strong belief in justice and equity.
This inspired her to pursue a career in medicine, and over the past 35 years, she has held positions of increasing responsibility at the national, regional and global levels at WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS and Botswana’s Ministry of Health.
Response of global health leaders
Responding to the appointment of Dr Moeti, Awa Coll-Seck, Minister of Health of Senegal said "I've known and worked with Dr Moeti for many years and have the utmost confidence that she will bring renewed energy and creative solutions to the African Regional Office. Dr Moeti has firmly committed herself to build on the tremendous progress we have made as a region and to tackle the most pressing challenges we face, including Ebola."
Dr Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine also said, "The Ebola crisis brought into sharp relief the need for a dynamic WHO presence in Africa to coordinate the response to emerging health challenges. Dr Moeti is a public health leader who can transform the WHO’s Africa Regional Office into the type of institution we need.”
According to Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, “Dr Moeti has the right skills and has come at the right moment. She is results driven and I have no doubt that she will make a great contribution to improving health care in Africa.”