Governance
World Health Assembly
World Health Assembly
The World Health Assembly is the highest decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
Next Health Assembly
- Seventieth World Health Assembly » (22-31 May 2017)
Executive board
Executive Board
The Executive Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health and elected for three-year terms. It meets twice in a year in Geneva to review resolutions and the agenda for the World Health Assembly, and administrative matters. The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.
Chairman and Officers of the Executive Board
- Ambassador Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo (Brazil)
Chairman - Ms Glenys Beauchamp (Australia)
Vice-Chairman - Dr Simon Mfanzile Zwane (Eswatini)Vice-Chairman
- Dr Päivi Sillanaukee (Finland)
Vice-Chairman - Dr Rajitha Senaratne (Sri Lanka)
Vice-Chairman - Dr Mohammed Jaber Hwoal Al-Taae (Iraq)
Rapporteur
Notes for the record
Meetings of the Director-General with the Officers of the Executive Board
Composition of the Executive Board (African Region)
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Regional Committee for Africa
Regional Committee for Africa
The WHO Regional Committee for Africa is the Organization's decision-making body in the African Region. It comprises of Ministers of Health or their representatives from each of the 47 Member States in the region.
Among the functions of the Regional Committee are:
- formulate regional policies;
- supervise WHO/AFR's activities;
- comment on the regional component of WHO's proposed programme budget;
- nominate the Regional Director for Africa every five years and transmit their decision to the WHO Executive Board for endorsement.
The Regional Committee meets as often as necessary and the Regional Director acts as its Secretary.
Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee for Africa [pdf 550kB]
69th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa
The Sixty-ninth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa will take place in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, from 19 to 23 August 2019.
Programme Subcommittee
Programme Subcommittee
The Programme Subcommittee (PSC) is a subsidiary body of the Regional Committee. It assists the Regional Committee by reviewing the budget, strategies, reports and proposed resolutions and advising on policy and governance matters.
The Programme Subcommittee consists of 16 representatives of Member States. In addition, three Executive Board members from the African Region attend the subcommittee meetings.
Dowload the terms of reference of the PSC of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa [pdf]
Programme Subcommittee Members (Rev. 24/APR/2018)
- Angola Dr Balbina Ventura Felix
Aug. 2017 – Jun. 2020 Consultant Minister for Public Health Services - Benin Dr Codjo Didier Agossadou
May 2017 – Jan. 2020 Secrétaire Général du Ministère - Botswana Dr Khumo Seipone
Aug. 2017 – Jun 2019 Director, Health Services - Burkina Faso Prof. Adama Traoré
May 2019 – Jan. 2022 Professeur agrégé en dermatologie - Cameroon Dr Hamadou Ba
Aug. 2017 – Jun 2020 Chef de la Division de la Coopération - Ethiopia Dr.Desalegn Tigabu
Aug. 2016 – Jun. 2019 Director for the Plan and Policy Directorate -
Eswatini Dr Simon Mfanzile Zwane
May 2017 – Jan. 2020 Principal Secretary -
Gabon M. Martin Essono Ndoutoumou
May 2018 – Jan. 2021 Directeur Général de la planification
des infrastructures sanitaires et des équipements - Kenya Dr J. Wekesa Masasabi
May 2019 - Jan 2022 Ag. Director General for Health - Mauritania Pr Lô Baïdy
Aug. 2016 - Jun 2019 Chargé de mission - Nigeria Dr Emmanuel Meribole
Aug. 2016 – Jun 2019 Acting Head of Department, Department
of Health Planning, Research and Statistics
- Rwanda Dr Zuberi Muvunyi
- Aug. 2017 – Jun 2020 Director General Clinical Services
- Sao Tome & Principe Dr Carlos Alberto Bandeira d'Almeida
Aug. 2016 – Jun 2019 Directeur du Centre National des Endémies - Senegal Dr Marie Khermesse Ngom Ndiaye
Aug. 2017 – Jun. 2020 Directrice Générale de la Santé - South Africa Dr Yogan Pillay
Aug. 2016 – Jun 2019 Deputy Director-General -
Tanzania Dr Mpoki M. Ulisubisya
May 2017 – Jan. 2020 Permanent Secretary - Togo Dr Kokou Wotobe
Aug. 2017 – Jun 2020 Directeur des Etudes, de la Planification
et de la Programmation par intérim - Zimbabwe Dr Gibson Mhlanga
Aug. 2017 – Jun. 2020 Principle Director, Preventive Services -
Zambia Dr Jabbin Mulwanda
May 2017 – Jan. 2020 Permanent Secretary
Transformation Agenda
Transformation Agenda
The Transformation Agenda of the World Health Organization Secretariat in the African Region is a vision and a strategy for change aimed at facilitating the emergence of the WHO that the staff and stakeholders want.
It is a result of consultations with staff members within and outside the WHO African Region, and stakeholders from outside the Organization. The Transformation Agenda covers four focus areas:
- pro-results values
- smart technical focus
- responsive strategic operations
- effective communications and partnerships
Governance Reform
Governance Reform
The evolution of WHO’s work and the increasing number of entities associated with global health has necessitated changes in the way WHO is governed, and the way WHO engages with external stakeholders. In this regard, WHO’s governance reform aims to strengthen both the internal governance of WHO by Member States, as well as the role of WHO in global health governance.
GOVERNANCE REFORMThe proposals for change in respect of internal governance focus on improving the work of the governing bodies – the World Health Assembly, the Executive Board and the Regional Committees – including strengthening global-regional linkages. The fundamental objectives for the internal governance reforms are to foster a more strategic and disciplined approach to priority setting, to enhance the oversight of the programmatic and financial aspects of the Organization, and to improve the efficiency and inclusivity of intergovernmental consensus-building.
In relation to WHO’s engagement with external stakeholders, WHO is exploring ways to more effectively collaborate with relevant stakeholders including nongovernmental organizations, partnerships, the private sector, foundations, and other relevant stakeholders with a view to promoting greater coherence in global health. The challenge here is to determine how WHO can engage with a wider range of players without undermining its intergovernmental nature or opening itself to influence by those with vested interests. Moreover, governance reforms aim to strengthen the multilateral role of WHO and to capitalize more effectively on WHO’s leadership position in global health.
