Kathmandu, Oct. 8
Nepali diplomats, United Nations professionals and
experts of various sectors from Nepal have come forward to express solidarity
with Dr. Shambhu Acharya and welcome the decision of the Government of Nepal to
nominate him as the candidate for the Regional Director of the World Health
Organisation (WHO)'s South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO).
Speaking at an interaction with the journalists on
Sunday in Lalitpur, they said that an opportunity has arisen with filling the
vacancy for the Regional Director of the WHO's SEARO which also oversees the
South Asia region.
"We welcome the Government of Nepal’s nomination of
a highly qualified candidate, Dr. Shambhu Acharya, for this important position and for investing effort
to mobilise support
for his candidature,"
read the statement issued by nine luminaries of Nepali society including Nilamber Acharya,
former minister, ambassador and political analyst, and
Dr. Kul Chandra Gautam, former assistant secretary general of the UN and deputy
executive director of the UNICEF.
The Regional Director’s position is vitally important
for the future health and wellbeing of hundreds of millions in our region,
where medical and public health challenges must be monitored and overseen by
capable leadership within WHO.
"It is obvious to us that Dr. Acharya
is the better fit between
the two candidates nominated for the position. He possesses a very strong
public health background and has extensive leadership experience in tackling
global health issues," they said.
Dr. Acharya has impeccable
credentials with a PhD in public health, specialising in health policy and
planning from a globally renowned university; a Masters in
Sociology focusing on social policy; and an MBA in public finance and strategic
management.
He is an expert of the public
health and knows medical challenges of this region intimately, having worked
for three decades strengthen responses at local, national, regional and global
levels, including in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, apart
from his responsibilities at WHO headquarters in Geneva, according to the
experts.
Dr. Acharya has managed
large-scale World Bank-funded projects in health and population in Bangladesh
and played a key role in establishing the Asia-Pacific Health Economics Network
to build the health financing capacity of WHO member states.
"Working directly with
the Director-General WHO, Dr. Acharya has been part of high-level policy and
strategy decisions, which have also included interactions with heads of
government, ministers, and health professionals all over the Asian
continent," read the statement.
He has represented WHO in
various UN bodies advocating for universal health coverage within
the broader UN development agenda. Most recently, Dr.
Acharya played a central role in ensuring that WHO was effective in response to
the COVID-19 crisis in the most seriously affected countries.
He has also authored
an impressive list of papers
in various areas
of health and development
that gives him a high level of credibility in global and regional public health
circles. His vision statement for the SEARO candidacy is clear, succinct,
innovative and forward-looking, maintained the supporters.
Dr. Acharya has been
acknowledged by many global health professionals and leaders as the most
qualified candidate for this crucial position, even beyond the present contest.
"In contrast, the only
other candidate in competition for the position is regarded by the public
health and medical fraternity as a political protégé
with a privileged pedigree whose thin resumé is not adequate to lead a complex
global health institution such as WHO-SEARO," read the statement.
It also said that the
unabashed, high-profile lobbying at senior most political levels, aided by a
mother’s access to global leaders at unrelated summits and conclaves, has
generated cautionary commentary not only in public health circles but also in
journals of renown and credible international media.
"In the current
post-Covid public health environment with its numerous challenges, including
those related to income disparities, climate crisis, and the potential surge of
new vectors with potential for great destruction, UN leaders steering
health issues must have strong
credentials and proven
dynamism," they said. They also urged the government to redouble efforts
among the concerned governments of the region in favour of his candidacy.
The signatories also include Prof. Rita Thapa, first
women director of Health Systems, WHO-SEARO and winner of Bloomberg Public
Health Award 2023, Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, leading heart surgeon and Chairperson of
Nepal Medical Council, Dr. Naresh KC, executive director of Family Planning Association, Prof. Dr. Madhu Dixit,
executive chairperson of UDM-
NINAS, Dr. Sudha Sharma, senior
public health physician with global experience, Dr. Badri
Raj Pande, public
health expert and regional
programme management officer of SEARO, and Bishow Parajuli, former UN resident coordinator.
Published in The Rising Nepal on 9 October 2023.
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