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Tonga health minister nominated as next WHO Western Pacific chief

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Jeck Batallones, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/10/17/20231017-abs-cbn-news.jpg"/><figcaption>Member states nominate Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the health minister of Tonga, as the next Regional Director of the World Health Organization&#x27;s Western Pacific region. Jeck Batallones, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the health minister of Tonga, has been nominated as the next Regional Director of the World Health Organization&#x27;s Western Pacific region. Member states voted to nominate Piukala during the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific on Tuesday afternoon. According to the press briefer released by the WHO, Piukala is a member of the Parliament and Minister of Health in the Kingdom of Tonga. He was the former Chair of the Parliament Standing Committee on Population and Development.Prior to entering politics in 2014, he was a general surgeon and medical superintendent of Vaiola Hospital, Ministry of Health in Tonga.&quot;I will be the regional director for everyone,&quot; Piukala declared after he was announced the winner.Thirty member states voted in a secret ballot on Tuesday. Five candidates from China, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vietnam were in the running for the job.Piukala has a strong interest in population and development matters, particularly those related to youth and health. He has a particular interest in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). His other interests include Universal Health Coverage and Emerging Infectious Diseases. He has led the work on Sustainable Development Goals for Tonga.He was a member of the Executive Board for the World Health Organization in 2019 and 2022, and was appointed as one of the Commissioners for the High-Level Commission on NCDs for WHO in 2018-2020.Piukala&#x27;s nomination will be submitted to WHO&#x27;s Executive Board for appointment as the new Regional Director, and he will take office on February 1, 2024 for an initial term of 5 years.Piukala&#x27;s nomination came seven months after the WHO ousted former regional director Takeshi Kasai following staff accusations of racist, abusive and authoritarian behavior.Kasai, who denied the allegations, was accused of presiding over a &quot;toxic atmosphere&quot; at the WHO&#x27;s Western Pacific headquarters with a culture of &quot;systemic bullying and public ridiculing&quot;.The staff, who wished to remain anonymous &quot;for fear of retaliation&quot;, accused him of making &quot;derogatory remarks to staff of certain nationalities&quot;, in particular Filipinos.He was also accused of mismanaging the Covid pandemic, abusing his power to secure his re-election and nepotism. -- With a report from Agence France-Presse.

Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the health minister of Tonga, has been nominated as the next Regional Director of WHO's Western Pacific region. 

Tonga health minister nominated as next WHO Western Pacific chief

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Tonga health minister nominated as next WHO Western Pacific chief

Jeck Batallones,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 17, 2023 08:11 PM PHT

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World Health Organization

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WHO Western Pacific

Saia Ma’u Piukala

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