Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya of Bhutuka, Palpa, is a busy man these days. He is campaigning for the election for the position of Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asian Region. He requires six votes to get elected to the coveted post.
“There are many reasons to be optimistic about health in our region. The South East Asia region is home to one-fourth of the global population. We have growing economies, a young population, and technological advancement, including in the pharmaceutical and vaccines sectors. By taking leverage of these, we can provide happiness and dynamism for the health and wellbeing of the population in the region. Good health is a prerequisite for all this and achieving SDGs,” Dr Acharya told ApEx.
Recently, Dr Acharya attended the United Nations General Assembly alongside Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. During their stay in New York, Prime Minister Dahal, Foreign Minister NP Saud, Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, and other high-ranking officials engaged with the presidents and representatives of various countries, seeking support for Dr. Acharya's candidacy.
Prime Minister Dahal also met WHO Director General, Dr Tedros during UNGA. Foreign Minister Saud said that needful diplomatic efforts have been made to ensure that Dr Acharya is elected as the regional director of WHO. Dr Acharya is hopeful about his election prospects, given the positive outcome of his high-level discussions with representatives from other countries. “The meetings went very positively. I am excited,” he added. The WHO’s regional office in South-East Asia oversees 11 nations. Of these 11 countries, Myanmar cannot cast its vote due to military rule. WHO has six regional offices. The South East Asia Regional Office in New Delhi is one of the six regions and was opened in 1948. South East Asia covers India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, North Korea and Timor Leste along with Nepal.
Who is Dr Acharya?
Dr Acharya is a seasoned global public health leader. He is the first Nepali to reach a top position at WHO headquarters and holds a PhD in public health, health policy, and financing from the University of North Carolina, USA. Born into a middle-class farmer family, he overcame many challenges to reach his current position. He had to walk for 45 minutes to reach Bhawani Secondary School in Kusum Khola, Palpa. “At that time, there were no primary health care centers in the village,” Dr Acharya said. “I understood during my childhood days what kind of health services were needed at the grassroots level.”
Dr Acharya started his public health career with the Family Planning Association of Nepal, engaging with local communities in rural areas and gaining valuable insights into the health needs of underserved populations. Currently, on leave from WHO for the election, he serves as the Director of the Country Strategy and Support Department at WHO headquarters in Geneva. He has over three decades of experience in public health serving many different areas of public health.
By leading the Country Strategy and Support Department, he is responsible for formulating WHO country cooperation strategies in more than 150 countries. Additionally, he plays a crucial role in coordinating the health situations of different nations to provide comprehensive briefings to the Director General. Dr Acharya excels in leadership skills and diplomatic acumen, demonstrated by his successful leadership of high-level committees for the United Nations and various other organizations on behalf of WHO. His expertise and contributions have earned him appointments to the Board of Governors of the UN System Staff College by two UN Secretary-Generals, Ban Ki-moon and Antonio Guterres, where he served for three years.
Dr Acharya’s extensive experience in public health makes him a strong candidate for the regional director position. According to diplomatic sources, four countries have already pledged their support to Dr Acharya and diplomatic efforts are underway to secure more votes. Before the election, a public debate will be held between the two candidates. Member state representatives will pose questions during the debate, and Heads of Delegation (Ministers of Health) from member states will interview both candidates. The foreign ministry remains hopeful that Dr Acharya’s extensive experience and expertise will secure his victory. International media outlets have repeatedly endorsed him as the suitable candidate, citing Saima Wazed’s limited experience and expertise for the role.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh of India currently serves as the Regional Director at the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office. Nepal has supported Indian candidates in the past two elections. It remains to be seen how India will respond to Nepal’s unwavering support extended to it in WHO platforms. Since Nepal’s support played a crucial role in India holding the position for two consecutive terms, Nepal is hopeful of receiving India's support in return as per principle of reciprocity and solidarity.
Dr Acharya’s opponent, Saima Wazed, is the daughter of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She holds an MSc in clinical psychology. She has received an honorary PhD from a university in Bangladesh that carries her grandfather’s name. She has been an autism advocate in the past. However, her education and qualifications are limited to a narrow area of the public health sector. Her limited experience in public health, collaboration, and leadership at higher levels make her a weak candidate. Further, most of her degrees and positions in public health are honorary, leading to criticism by leading global media outlets and prestigious public health journals that she received these positions due to her mother’s political influence. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina has actively campaigned for her daughter. She is taking Saima to diplomatic engagements. Recently, she participated with her daughter in the G20 Summit held in New Delhi, India, ASEAN meeting in Indonesia and UNGA in New York.
International media outlets have critiqued Saima'’s nomination, suggesting that her candidacy is primarily due to her status as the daughter of a prime minister, rather than her public health and administrative experience. Salman Keshavji, a professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School (Boston), emphasized the importance of advanced training in medicine and public health for the role of WHO regional director. Keshavji argued that Saima’s candidacy raises concerns about nepotism. Likewise, in the article published in The Lancet, Talha Burki raised questions about Saima’s candidacy. Assistant Professor Yasir Arafat of Bangladesh, who shared the article on his social media Twitter, was dismissed from service by Sheikh Hasina’s Government. The election of a candidate embroiled in political interference could raise concerns about the credibility of WHO, a specialized health organization, dedicated to the health and wellbeing of world population based on equality, solidarity and human rights.
