Indian-origin global health expert Anil Soni has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the newly launched WHO Foundation. Soni will assume his new role from January 1, 2021.
WHO Foundation released a press statement on the same, which stated that Soni's key role in the new position will be to accelerate the WHO Foundation's work to invest in innovative initiatives that support WHO's missions to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
The WHO Foundation @thewhof has appointed @_AnilSoni as its inaugural CEO.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 7, 2020
The Foundation, an independent grant-making agency, was launched in May 2020 to work alongside WHO & the global health community to address the world’s most pressing global health challenges. pic.twitter.com/BrQtxg34Gc
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described Anil Soni as a proven global health innovator, who has spent almost two decades in service of communities affected by HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. He added saying that Soni has a unique skill set that spans the public and private sectors and his leadership of WHO Foundation will provide invaluable support to WHO's missions.
About Anil Soni
•Anil Soni, the Indian-origin health expert was previously serving as the Head of Global Infectious Diseases at Viatris, a global healthcare company.
•At Viatris, he had led the development and introduction of medicines to treat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
•He had initially served as the Executive Director at the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis from 2002-2004.
•He had also served as the Founding Executive Director of Friends of the Global Fight from 2004-2005.
•He then served as the CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative from 2005-2010, during which, he oversaw the rapid expansion of the organisation.
•Soni had also been a senior advisor at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the MDG Health Alliance.
•Overall, he is known to have a strong track record of mobilising resources and advocating for global health priorities and helping new organisations stand up from ground zero.
About WHO Foundation
The WHO Foundation is an independent grant-making agency, which was launched in May 2020. It is headquartered in Geneva. The main purpose of the foundation is to work alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the global health community to address the most pressing health challenges across the world.
The WHO Foundation seeks to complement and strengthen the WHO's efforts to address global health. It will act as a platform for new types of public-private engagement, while protecting WHO's neutrality and independence.
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