Dr Soumya Swaminathan appointed as new DDG of WHO

Swaminathan brings with her a vast experience spanned over three decades in clinical care and research. She had been continuously striving to translate research into impactful programmes. Before her appointment to the post, Swaminathan also served as Secretary of the Department of Health Research.

In the past, Swaminathan had also worked with UNICEF from 2009 to 2011 as Coordinator of the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) in Geneva. She was also part of several WHO and global advisory bodies and committees, including the WHO Expert Panel to Review Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of the Global TB Department at WHO, and Co-Chair of the Lancet Commission on TB.

She was also the director of the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai. She is the daughter of MS Swaminathan (92), the acclaimed Indian geneticist and father of the green revolution. Swaminathan will be the deputy director general for programmes (DDG) and Jane Ellison will be the deputy director general for corporate operations (DDC), said the WHO director-general while announcing his senior leadership team.

The 58-year old DDG received her academic training in India, United Kingdom, and the United States and has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications in her name.

(With inputs from PTI)