India to Chair WHO Executive Board

• 20 May 2020

Why in News

Recently, India has been elected to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Executive Board. It will also be holding a Chairmanship of the Executive Board for the next one year (from May 2020- May 2021)

• Currently, the chairmanship of the WHO Executive Board is being held by Japan.

Key Points

• The proposal to appoint India’s nominee to the executive board was signed by the 194-nation at the 73^rd World Health Assembly between 18-19 May, 2020.
• In 2019, WHO’s South-East Asia group had unanimously decided that India would be elected to the executive board for a three-year-term beginning from May, 2020.
  
  • WHO Member States are grouped into 6 WHO regions namely, African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region.
• India has been elected along with 10 other countries including Botswana, Colombia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Oman, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

WHO Executive Board

• Composition: The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a member state elected to do so by the World Health Assembly.
  
  • Member States are elected for three-year terms.
• Chairman: The chairman’s post is held by rotation for one year among regional groups.
  • It is not a full time assignment and the chairman is just required to chair the Executive Board’s meetings.
• Meeting: The Board meets at least twice a year.
• Functions: The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the World Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.

World Health Assembly

• The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO.
• It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
• The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.
• The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Source: IE