WHO SEARO Leadership: Politics Should Not Trump People’s Health

The two candidates in the race to become the next Regional Director of WHO SEARO are Shambhu Acharya from Nepal and Saima Wazed from Bangladesh. ( Image Source :X/@acharyas1 & Getty )

In early November this year, the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) will meet in New Delhi to nominate its next Regional Director. The choice of candidate for this critical post will be based on voting behind closed doors by the organisation’s eleven member countries, prominent among these being India, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.  Now, why should anyone really care who becomes the next Regional Director of