Saima Wazed was confirmed as the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for the South-East Asia by the executive board in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday.
Wazed, daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, begins a five-year term on February 1, 2024, says a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Mission in Geneva. She is the first WHO regional director from Bangladesh and the second woman director for the South-East Asia Region.
She was nominated as the regional director in a vote by the Regional Committee for South-East Asia on November 1, 2023 in New Delhi, India.
A report carried by the Deccan Herald adds: After taking oath as the new regional director, Wazed 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."
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 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."
She further added, "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. Structured with a life-course approach, this will include comprehensive well-being and health screenings, vaccination and nutrition programmes, promotion of both physical and mental well-being and resilience."
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