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Regional Director: Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala
  • Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala is WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific and the first Pacific islander to take up this role. He was nominated for this position by the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in October 2023, appointed by the WHO Executive Board in January 2024 and took office on 1 February 2024.  Dr Piukala is a politician, public health leader and surgeon who brings to the role nearly 30 years of experience working in Tonga and across the Pacific. He is a champion of multisectoral collaboration to tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the threat to health posed by climate change. He has led initiatives to achieve universal health coverage and address emerging infectious diseases. He has been a strong advocate for initiatives on youth health, tobacco control, safe surgery, and disaster preparedness and response.  Prior to his election as WHO Regional Director, Dr Piukala was a Member of Parliament and Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Tonga. He also served as Vice-Chair of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (October 2022 to October 2023), and chaired the Pacific Health Ministers meeting hosted by Tonga in September 2023. From 2019 to 2022 he served a member of the WHO Executive Board, and he was a Commissioner for WHO’s Independent High-Level Commission on NCDs from 2018 to 2020.  Previously, Dr Piukala was Medical Superintendent of the main referral hospital in Tonga, and worked as a Senior Medical Officer and General Surgeon in Tonga and other Pacific islands including Fiji, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu.  Dr Piukala holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (1995), Postgraduate Diploma in Surgery (2005) and Master of Medicine in Surgery (2009) from Fiji School of Medicine  / University of the South Pacific.   Related:  https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-director https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/23-01-2024-dr-saia-ma-u-piukala-appointed-who-regional-director-for-the-western-pacific Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken.Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala is WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific and the first Pacific islander to take up this role. He was nominated for this position by the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in October 2023, appointed by the WHO Executive Board in January 2024 and took office on 1 February 2024.  Dr Piukala is a politician, public health leader and surgeon who brings to the role nearly 30 years of experience working in Tonga and across the Pacific. He is a champion of multisectoral collaboration to tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the threat to health posed by climate change. He has led initiatives to achieve universal health coverage and address emerging infectious diseases. He has been a strong advocate for initiatives on youth health, tobacco control, safe surgery, and disaster preparedness and response.  Prior to his election as WHO Regional Director, Dr Piukala was a Member of Parliament and Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Tonga. He also served as Vice-Chair of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (October 2022 to October 2023), and chaired the Pacific Health Ministers meeting hosted by Tonga in September 2023. From 2019 to 2022 he served a member of the WHO Executive Board, and he was a Commissioner for WHO’s Independent High-Level Commission on NCDs from 2018 to 2020.  Previously, Dr Piukala was Medical Superintendent of the main referral hospital in Tonga, and worked as a Senior Medical Officer and General Surgeon in Tonga and other Pacific islands including Fiji, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu.  Dr Piukala holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (1995), Postgraduate Diploma in Surgery (2005) and Master of Medicine in Surgery (2009) from Fiji School of Medicine  / University of the South Pacific.   Related:  https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-director https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/23-01-2024-dr-saia-ma-u-piukala-appointed-who-regional-director-for-the-western-pacific Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken.
  • Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, proposed by Tonga, has been nominated as the next WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Member States voted to nominate Dr Piukala during the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific. Dr Piukala’s nomination will be submitted to WHO's Executive Board for appointment as the new Regional Director, and he will take office on 1 February 2024 for an initial term of 5 years.   Read more:  https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/17-10-2023-Dr-Saia-Mau-Piukala-nominated-to-lead-WHO-Western-Pacific-Region https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-committee/session-74 Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken.Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, proposed by Tonga, has been nominated as the next WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Member States voted to nominate Dr Piukala during the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific. Dr Piukala’s nomination will be submitted to WHO's Executive Board for appointment as the new Regional Director, and he will take office on 1 February 2024 for an initial term of 5 years.   Read more:  https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/17-10-2023-Dr-Saia-Mau-Piukala-nominated-to-lead-WHO-Western-Pacific-Region https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-committee/session-74 Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken.
  • On 1 February 2024, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala assumed his role as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. To mark the momentous occasion, a ceremony was held on the WPRO campus, providing an opportunity for the WHO workforce to meet Dr Saia, learn about his priorities for the Region and warmly welcome him into the WHO Western Pacific family. Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken. Sharing photos of private, internal events with staff is for personal use only. Photos should not be made public on social media or published elsewhere without permission from the subject/s in the photos.On 1 February 2024, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala assumed his role as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. To mark the momentous occasion, a ceremony was held on the WPRO campus, providing an opportunity for the WHO workforce to meet Dr Saia, learn about his priorities for the Region and warmly welcome him into the WHO Western Pacific family. Note: Title reflects the respective position of the subject at the time the photo was taken. Sharing photos of private, internal events with staff is for personal use only. Photos should not be made public on social media or published elsewhere without permission from the subject/s in the photos.

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