PH health expert among candidates for WHO Western Pacific head

PUBLIC health expert, Dr. Susan Pineda Mercado, has been selected by the Philippine government as a candidate for the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO)

Dr. Susan Pineda Mercado. Photo from Susan Pineda Mercado Fb page

Mercado, the wife of former Defense secretary and The Manila Times columnist Orlando Mercado, will be up against four other health experts from the region whose candidacies were sent by the WHO WPRO office to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebyeresus.

The other candidates are Dr. Song Li, who was nominated by China, Dr. Jimmie Rodgers, nominated by the Solomon Islands, Dr. Saia Ma'u Puikala, nominated by Tonga, and Dr. Tran Thi Gian Huong, nominated by Vietnam.

Her bid is titled “Together with the Philippines for the Western Pacific: Healthy Together Today”.

She also described herself as one of the Western Pacific Region's foremost leaders in public health, having a 15-year career with the WHO that was characterized by her “sensible dynamism and practical problem solving”.

She said that she is prepared and committed to exceed expectations as the next regional director.

The member states will vote to nominate the next regional director in a closed meeting on the 74th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, which is slated from October 16 to 20 in Manila.

The nomination will be submitted for appointment in the 154th session of the WHO Executive Board, which will be held from January 22 to 27, 2024 in Geneva Switzerland.

The new regional director will take office on Feb. 1, 2024 for a five-year term and will only be eligible for a single reappointment.