US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy renamed country representative on WHO board

Washington, Jan 10: Indian-American Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been named again to serve as the US's representative on the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO) by President Joe Biden.

The 46-year-old's nomination was re-sent as his confirmation to the position had been pending in the Senate since October 2022.

He will serve in his new position alongside his continued duties as the country's Surgeon General, the White House said in a statement on Monday.

In March 2021, he was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the US and had previously served on the same post under then President Barack Obama.

As the Nation’s Doctor, the Surgeon General’s mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources for the public, the White House noted.

The first Surgeon General of Indian descent, Murthy is focused on drawing attention to and working across governments to address a number of critical public health issues. This includes the growing proliferation of health misinformation, the ongoing youth mental health crisis, well-being and burnout in the health worker community, and social isolation and loneliness.

As the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Murthy also commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations.

Born to immigrant parents from Karnataka, Murthy was raised in Miami and is a graduate of Harvard, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Yale School of Management.

Before entering government service, Murthy co-founded VISIONS, a global HIV/AIDS education organisation, and the Swasthya Project -- a rural health partnership that trained women in South India to become community health workers and educators.