Filipino doctor nominated for WHO Western Pacific top post
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino physician and public health specialist has been included in the official list of nominees for the top post of the World Health Organization in the Western Pacific Region.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Dr. Susan Mercado, special envoy for global health initiatives, was nominated for the position of WHO Western Pacific Regional Director.
"The acceptance of Dr. Susan P. Mercado’s nomination by the WHO is proof of her expertise and experience in the field of public health, which was evident when President Rodrigo Duterte appointed her as Special Envoy this year. We wish her all the best in her candidature," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.
Mercado was undersecretary of the Department of Health and has served the WHO for more than 15 years. She obtained her AB Philosophy degree and graduated as magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines. She also obtained Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Public Health degrees from the premier state university.
Other nominees for the position are from Malaysia, Japan and New Zealand. The election for the new Western Pacific director will be in October during the WHO's regional consultative meetings in Manila.
Mercado said that she will campaigning "on a platform of responsiveness and empowerment."
"I believe that being approachable and accessible is the key to effective leadership. You cannot lead if you cannot listen. I believe that the foundation for leadership in a multilateral agency is respecting that each member state—regardless of size or socio-economic status has the authority to identify its own priorities and chart its own destiny," Mercado said.
The Filipino doctor has served as WHO Western Pacific's director for noncommunicable diseases and health through the life-course, where she led international public health experts in working with 37 countries across the region.
Mercado said that the WHO can do more on creating public discourse wherein member states can freely discuss public health discourse and governance.
"There are multiple solutions to the health problems we face, and more of our time and attention should go to linking solutions to problems through inclusive dialogue and engagement," she said.
During her stint with the WHO, she also served as acting regional adviser for health promotion, team leader for the organization's Tobacco Free Initiative and team leader for urban health equity of the WHO Kobe Center in Japan, the DFA said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
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