NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed, 50, emerged victorious in the elections of becoming the regional director of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region held in New Delhi.
The member states voted in a closed-door meeting on the third day of the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia. The meeting was attended by eight countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
Myanmar, on the other hand, was not present at the meeting.
Wazed secured her victory upon gaining eight votes during the voting. She attained a landslide victory over her opponent Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya, a senior WHO official, who secured only two votes at the meeting.
Hasina’s daughter has been a mental health expert in the research and treatment of autism.
Wazed’s work in this sector has also earned her the post of an advisor to the WHO’s director general for mental health. She took to X to elucidate her gratefulness to the WHO regional board for electing her as the director of the crew.
Thank you to @WHOSEARO Member States for choosing me to be their next Regional Director!
I would like to pay tribute to our outgoing RD, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, for her decade of service to the public health of our region.
A special tribute as well for my fellow nominee in…
— Saima Wazed (@drSaimaWazed) November 1, 2023
“Thank you to @WHOSEARO Member States for choosing me to be their next Regional Director! I would like to pay tribute to our outgoing RD, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, for her decade of service to the public health of our region. A special tribute as well for my fellow nominee in this race, Dr Acharya. In his long and distinguished career, he has been an invaluable asset to WHO – and I hope our region will continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience,” her tweet read.
The nomination is slated to be submitted to the WHO Executive Board during its 154th session, which is scheduled to take place from January 22 to 27. The board’s session will take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Wazed will ensue with her position as the regional director on February 1 of 2024 for a period of five years.