Saima Wazed appointed WHO regional director for South-East Asia

Saima Wazed has been appointed as the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for South-East Asia.

The WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland, approved her appointment on Tuesday, according to a WHO statement.

Saima is the first from Bangladesh and the second woman regional director of the WHO South-East Asia region. She begins a five-year term on February 1, 2024.

After taking oath as the new Regional Director, Saima in her acceptance speech at the WHO Executive Board, said, “There is a lot of work to be done, and I am extremely pleased to be starting this journey at this moment with all of you. I am excited for all that we can, and will, do together in the coming years.”

She was nominated as the next regional director in a vote by the Regional Committee for the South-East Asia on November 1, 2023, in New Delhi, India.

Emphasising her priorities, the new regional director said, “The first of these is a strong focus on mental health….a long-neglected area. It is time to turn the tide against the silent illnesses of mental health which impacts every aspect of the lives affected.”

“Second, I look forward to devising and implementing specific interventions for women and children, including pregnant women. This will be created with education, empowerment, and prevention in mind,” she said.

The third is the use of technology. This great enabler in our lives over the last few decades allows untold possibilities of innovation across many different spheres of public health. The impact of the digital revolution on healthcare holds immense promise, ranging from telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, to data-driven diagnostics and personalised treatment plans, she said.

Saima emphasised partnerships, collaboration, and financing that’s transparent, sustainable, and provides adequate return on investment.

Since 2019, she has been an advisor to the WHO Director-General on Mental Health and Autism and has been a member of the WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health since 2014.

Saima was designated Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in WHO South-East Asia in 2017.

Saima has a Bachelor's degree from Barry University in Florida, USA, and holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She is a candidate for a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the same university.

She is an Associate Fellow at the Global Health Program Chatham House, UK; Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and NDDs, Dhaka Bangladesh, and Chairperson of the Shuchona Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh.