Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe
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Credits
WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore
Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe is currently working as the WHO
Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office to Malaysia, Brunei
Darussalam and Singapore based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia since 22 January 2022.
In his position as Head of WHO Office, he leads strategic and policy dialogues
with ministries of health and partners.
Before assuming his current post Dr Rabi
Abeyasinghe functioned as WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country
Office Philippines till January 2022. He was also acting Director Health Security an
Emergencies at World Health Organizations Regional Office for the Western
Pacific (WPRO) based in Manila, Philippines from 30th April
2020 to 21st June 2020, supporting the regional response to
COVID-19. Prior to joining Country Office Philippines in 2019 he was
Coordinator, Malaria Other Vector borne and Parasitic Diseases at WPRO. He has
served WHO since 2011 in various capacities including acting Director
Communicable Diseases WPRO (May to October 2018, May to July 2019), Regional
Entomologist WPRO and Technical Officer Malaria in CO Papua New Guinea.
Rabi is a Medical Specialist MD (Community Medicine) from
the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Additionally, he has a MSc in Biology
& Control of Disease Vectors from the London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine, and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene from the
Royal College of Physicians, London. He has nearly 30 years of experience in
control of vector borne diseases and held several senior positions in the
Ministry of Health Sri Lanka including Director National Malaria Control Programme
and Project Director, GFATM Projects.
He is a Fellow of the College of Community Physicians of
Sri Lanka and a past President of the College of Community Physicians of
Sri Lanka. He was a Senior Fellow of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University
of Colombo, Sri Lanka and Advisory Board Chair of the Asia Pacific Malaria
Elimination Network.
WHO/Yoshi Shimizu
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Credits
WHO vision and mission
The founding vision of WHO is a world in which all people attain the highest possible standard of health and well-being. The WHO mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. WHO works with a commitment to human rights, universality and equity, based on the principles espoused in the WHO Constitution.
Core functions of WHO include: providing leadership on matters crucial to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed; shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge; setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation; articulating ethical and evidence- based policy options; providing technical support to catalyse changes; building sustainable institutional capacity; and monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.
In order to provide effective support, the WHO country office leverages the three levels of the Organization: to focus support where it can make a difference; to place the right people in the right places; to engage partners effectively; to enhance communications; and to improve operational intelligence.
Priorities of WHO
WHO’s general programme of work (GPW) sets medium-term priorities and strategies of the Organization. The World Health Assembly in May 2018 is expected to approve the 13th general programme of work, covering the period 2019–2023. It encompasses a set of three interconnected strategic priorities, strategic shifts and organizational shifts, as well as 10 outcomes to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The three strategic priorities are:
- Universal health coverage: 1 billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage
- Health emergencies: 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies
- Healthier populations: 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being