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| DHarsh Vardhan elected as Chair of Executive Board of WHO: Highlights with Details | Pics: twitter |
Harsh Vardhan elected as Chair of Executive Board of WHO: Highlights with Details
The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been elected as Chair of the Executive Board of World Health Organization (WHO) for the year 2020-21. This took place during the 147th session of the Executive Board, in a meeting that was virtually held. He has replaced Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan.
Accepting the Chair of the Executive Board, Dr Harsh Vardhan paid tribute to the lakhs of people who have lost their lives due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. He requested all dignitaries present on the ocassionto give a standing ovation to all the frontline health workers and other COVID Warriors by saluting their dignity, determination and dedication.
Dr Harsh Vardhan also shared India’s experience of combating COVID-19. He noted that “We have a mortality of 3 per cent only. In a country of 1.35 billion, there are only 0.1 million cases of COVID19. The recovery rate is above 40 per cent and the doubling rate is 13 days.”
Dr Harsh Vardhan has also been a member of several prestigious committees of WHO like Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and the Global Technical Consultative Group (TCG) on Polio Eradication. He has also served as an Advisor to the WHO.
About Dr Harsh Vardhan:
This is another feather in the cap of Dr. Harsh Vardhan’s illustrious career. He earned his graduation and post-graduation in medicine from G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur in 1979 and 1983, respectively.
He has been associated with public service since 1993 when he was elected to the Delhi Legislative Assembly. He served his constituency continuously for five terms until he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in May, 2014 from Chandni Chowk constituency.
From 1993 to 1998, he served as the Minister of Health, Education, Law & Justice & Legislative Affairs for the Govt. of NCT of Delhi.In 1994, as the Delhi Health Minister, he oversaw the successful implementation of the pilot project of the Pulse Polio Programme which involved the mass immunisation of 1.2 million children up to the age of 3 in Delhi, laying the groundwork for a Polio free India in 2014. He has championed the passing and implementation of the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act, 1997, which was later replicated by several States in the country.
Dr Harsh Vardhan has been the Union Health Minister in 2014, and later took over as the Union Minister Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. He was also Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He was re-elected to the 17th Lok Sabha and sworn in on May 30th, 2019 as Union Cabinet Minister and was given the portfolios of Health and Family Welfare; Science and Technology and Earth Sciences.
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