KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Saima Wazed has been appointed as the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for South-East Asia by the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland.

After taking oath as the new Regional Director, Wazed in her acceptance speech at the WHO Executive Board said, ”I would like to thank the Member States for the trust they have placed in me. 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.”

Wazed begins a five-year term on 1 February 2024. She is the first from Bangladesh and the second woman Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region. She was nominated as the next Regional Director in a vote by the Regional Committee for South-East Asia on 1 November 2023 in New Delhi, India.

Emphasizing 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 illness of mental health which impacts every aspect of the lives affected. I will work towards ensuring relative parity between physical and mental health in our healthcare systems.”

Saima Wazed 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.

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

Wazed was also designated Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in WHO South-East Asia in 2017. She co-authored WHO South-East Asia Regional Strategy on Autism Spectrum Disorder the same year.

 
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