Patrick Amoth appointed as WHO chairperson
Patrick Amoth, the acting Director-General in the Ministry of Health, has been appointed as Chairperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board.
Making the announcement during the 149th session of the WHO Executive Board, Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said the decision was reached after no objection was made during his nomination to the post.
“A deeply rewarding journey came to its conclusion today as I completed my tenure as Chair of 149th Session,” he said.
Union Health Minister Vardhan completed his tenure as Chairman of WHO Executive Board on June 02.
Vardhan will continue to be a member of the Executive Board till 2023 after the handover of the Chair position.
In May last year, Amoth was elected Vice President of the Executive Board of the WHO for a 2-year term.
Amoth is a medical doctor with a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Obstetrics/Gynaecology from University of Nairobi.
He previously served as Chief Medical Specialist (Obstetrics/Gynecology)/ Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Nairobi.
Patrick previously headed the Directorate of Public Health at the Ministry, where he spearheaded strategy development for effective delivery of health services in all the 47 counties in Kenya and was centrally involved in the inception and alignment of Universal Health Coverage for the country.
Amoth’s has had expansive experience in civil service having risen from a Medical Officer at Kisumu’s Provincial Hospital before becoming the Medical Superintendent in the former Kiambu District Hospital, now Kiambu County Referral Hospital.
He also later served as the Director of Medical Services for Kiambu East and Kiambu West Districts, now Kiambu County.
During his stint in Kiambu, Amoth is credited with having had excellent managerial skills as well as robust and successful fundraising for the hospital, initiating various programs, and revolutionizing infrastructural improvement of most hospitals.
Amoth is a graduate of the University of Nairobi’s Medical School and has a Masters in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the same university. He also holds a Diploma in Health Systems management form Galilee College in Israel.
