Nigerian doctor appointed WHO special envoy

Nigerian doctor appointed WHO special envoy

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appointed a Nigerian doctor, Ayoade Alakija as Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator).

Alakija who joins former Prime Minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt, in the role, will lead the collective advocacy for the ACT-Accelerator, mobilising support and resources so it can deliver against its new Strategic Plan and Budget that was launched on October 28.

Confirming her appointment in a statement, the WHO said, “Dr Alakija will also support the leaders of the ACT-Accelerator’s three product pillars (vaccines, tests, treatments) and cross cutting ‘connector’; consult widely on the work of the ACT-Accelerator; advise the Director-General, ACT-Accelerator principals and stakeholders on emerging issues; and represent the ACT-Accelerator in key national and international fora.”

The global health body noted that the London-trained doctor joins the ACT-Accelerator at a critical moment in the global COVID-19 response, where the emergence of new variants of concern and missed global coverage targets leave large swathes of the world’s population unvaccinated, untested and untreated.

WHO director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, in the statement said, “We are very much looking forward to working with her to advocate for the full financing of the ACT Accelerator, and to meeting the global targets for COVID-19 vaccination, testing and treatment.”

“Dr Alakija brings a tremendous track record in advocating for equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments, especially for Africa,” he added.

Accepting the new role, Alakija was quoted as saying, “This is within reach, but only if a life in Mumbai matters as much as a life in Brussels, if a life in Sao Paulo matters as much as a life in Geneva, and if a life in Harare matters as much as a life in Washington DC. I come to this role to serve and to be part of a team that will ensure that the fruits of our collective work bring meaningful access and dignity in health in this pandemic that is felt in every village, town and city.”

Alakija is a medical doctor with a Masters degree in Public Health and Epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

She is the co-Chair of the African Union’s African Vaccine Delivery Alliance and founder of the Emergency Coordination Centre in Nigeria, building on her work with over 100 nations around the globe.

She has also worked as Chief Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, leading the Oslo Humanitarian Conference for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, working with governments and multilateral institutions to mobilise responses to some of the most under-recognised humanitarian crises in the world.

While based in Fiji, she worked closely with the WHO and UNICEF to design, coordinate, and implement National Health and Behavioural Surveys across the Pacific region.

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