The World Health Organization’s emergencies program was created to help provide rapid response to countries in the case of outbreaks and health emergencies. It was established in the aftermath of the West African Ebola outbreak, where the agency was heavily criticized for being slow in responding to the crisis.
But almost a decade since its creation, says the man who will be leading the program starting June 16, the program also needs to evolve.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who will be replacing Dr. Mike Ryan, said there’s now an increasing number of national public health agencies with the responsibility to lead work on emergencies. As countries lead on the front lines, WHO could retreat into a capacity-building role, providing training and equipment.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
