The WHO has announced that Dr Jeremy Farrar will become its new Chief Scientist. Currently director of the Wellcome Trust, Dr Farrar will join WHO in the second quarter of 2023.
Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu to become WHO Chief Nursing Officer. Former Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Tonga and previously Chief Nursing Officer of Tonga, Dr Tuipulotu will join WHO in the first quarter of 2023.
As WHO’s Chief Scientist, Dr Farrar will lead the Science Department, bringing together the best minds in science and innovation from around the world to develop and deliver high-quality health services to the people who need them most. them, no matter who they are or where they live.
Dr Farrar is a clinical scientist who, prior to joining Wellcome in 2013, spent 17 years as Director of Clinical Research at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Vietnam, where his research interests were in global health with a focus on on emerging infectious diseases.
Under Dr Farrar’s leadership, Wellcome is taking an increasingly global perspective, focusing on funding discovery research projects to transform understanding of life, health and well-being, and supporting science-based solutions to address three pressing challenges: infectious diseases, mental health and the health impacts of climate change.
Dr Farrar is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the US National Academies and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
As WHO Chief Nursing Officer, Dr Tuipulotu will protect, nurture and support nurses and midwives to ensure that their skills and expertise are put to good use to strengthen health systems and to strengthen their critical role in bringing together patients, communities and national health systems.
In 2019, Dr Tuipulotu became the first female Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Tonga, serving until December 2021. From 2014 to 2019, she was the Chief Nursing Officer of Tonga. She was previously the Director of Nursing at Vaiola Hospital, the nation’s premier referral hospital. She was the first Tongan to receive a Ph.D. in nursing care. In 2019, she was appointed Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Sydney.
From May 2020 to December 2022, Dr. Tuipulotu was a member of the WHO Executive Board; she was elected IB rapporteur in 2020.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “I am delighted that Jeremy and Amelia will be joining WHO at a critical time for global public health, when investments in both the health workforce and science are imperative to strengthen health systems and epidemic preparedness and prevention. As Chief Scientist, Jeremy will accelerate our efforts to ensure that WHO, its Member States and our partners benefit from cutting-edge, life-saving science and innovation. As Chief Nursing Officer, Amelia will ignite the all-important need to not only fill the gap in healthcare workers around the world, but to ensure they receive the support they need and deserve.”
