Health Minister elected to role on WHO Executive Board [1]
Monday, May 25, 2020 - 16:19
Tonga's Minister for Health Hon Dr ‘Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu was elected Rapporteur on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Executive Board during its 147th virtual meeting on 22 May.
The role of Rapporteur reports on the proceedings of the board’s meetings.
Hon Dr Tu’ipulotu joins the newly elected Chairman of the Executive Board, Dr Harsh Vardnar (India) and Vice-Chairmans Ms Bjorn Kummel (Germany), Ms Volda Lawrence (Guyana), Dr Patrick Amoth (Kenya) and Dr Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi (Oman).
According to the WHO website, the Executive Board is composed of 34 persons technically qualified in the field of health. Each person is designated by a Member State that has been elected to serve by the World Health Assembly. Member States are elected for three-year terms.
Tonga is a member state of the Executive Board 2019-2022.
The Board holds its annual meeting in January when members agree upon the agenda for the World Health Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the Health Assembly.
A second shorter meeting takes place in May as a follow-up to the Health Assembly.
The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.
The World Health Assembly was held 18-19 May 2020 and will reconvene later in the year. The Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO.