Nepal's Dr. Shambhu Acharya Seeks Indian Vote for WHO Regional Role

Dr Shambhu Acharya, Nepal's candidate for the position of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Director for South East Asia , has requested India's support against his Bangladeshi opponent, Saima Wazed, who is also Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter. He mentioned that he would back "Bharat" to advance its international health objectives beyond the region.

Dr. Acharya is a well-qualified candidate with extensive public health experience. He has promised to assist countries in implementing policies that enable more women to attain health leadership positions, fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable health workforce. Committed to promoting innovative technology and increasing access to new and traditional medicines, diagnostics, treatments, and therapies for addressing various health issues such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders, diabetes, and obesity. He aims to lead efforts in helping member states establish improved epidemic surveillance systems for early detection and reporting of emerging disease threats. Acharya has been involved with the WHO for over 25 years and has worked closely with its Director General Tedros while being instrumental in founding the Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat at the WHO's initiative.

On 18 August 2023, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sent the candidates' names for the election of the WHO South-East Asia Region's next Regional Director to relevant Member States. The candidates are Ms. Saima Wazed from Bangladesh and Dr. Shambhu Prasad Acharya from Nepal. During its seventy-sixth session from October 30 to November 2 in New Delhi, India, the Regional Committee of WHO South-East Asia Region will vote in a closed meeting to nominate their next Regional Director. This nomination will then be presented for appointment at the 154th session of the WHO Executive Board, scheduled from January 22 to 27, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland. The newly appointed Regional Director will assume office on February 1, 2024, for a five-year term and may be eligible for reappointment once. As the United Nations specialized agency in charge of directing and coordinating international health work, WHO collaborates with 194 Member States across six regions.

When questioned about his likelihood of victory, Dr Acharya mentioned that all candidates in an election hope to win. He expressed hope that India would support him during the election for the prestigious position. "India, being one of the 11 member nations in the region, is crucial due to its economic growth, technological innovation, ability to assist other countries, and its role as G20 president in leading global health initiatives," he remarked. "If I am elected as regional director, we can also help India extend its global health agenda beyond the region," he added. "I genuinely hope that India will recognize my abilities, skills, and association with them as a student and public health professional. This gives me confidence that I may receive a vote from India," he continued.

He commented that South Asia possesses a vast potential to enhance health conditions. The region is experiencing economic growth and is home to young talents, and technological advancements and has played a key role in producing affordable local generic medicines and vaccines. "We can discover cost-effective innovative solutions to improve health services, especially where low-cost options and technology have not been fully utilized," he said. He emphasized his extensive experience working with the WHO across three levels and representing it in the UN and other organizations. "I have observed significant progress in this region's health, but more work is needed in areas like population health improvement by connecting education with health," he added. He expressed the necessity of improving the health system so that every citizen in this region can access basic healthcare irrespective of their financial status. He also mentioned his support for traditional medicines as well as practices like Yoga and Meditation which are commonly found in this part of the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) segments the world into six areas for reporting, evaluation, and administration:

- African Region (AFR)
- Region of the Americas (AMR)
- South-East Asian Region (SEAR)
- European Region (EUR)
- Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)
- Western Pacific Region (WPR)

The Regional Director oversees the regional office and works together with Member States to establish health initiatives and set priorities for the WHO in each respective region. The WHO South-East Asia Region, home to over 2 billion individuals or a quarter of the global population, addresses health matters specific to their inhabitants. The Regional Director partners with governments, other international organizations, and stakeholders to enhance health standards in their geographical area while offering technical support for regional emerging health systems and public health crises.

Currently, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh serves as the Regional Director for the South-East Asia Region of WHO. As an Indian national and the first woman to occupy this role, she began her second five-year term after unanimous reelection by 11 Member States in September 2018 and was officially appointed by the WHO Executive Board on January 26, 2019.