Soumya Swaminathan becomes WHO’s Deputy Director General
October 4 , 2017 2613 days 1184 0
India’s Soumya Swaminathan becomes WHO’s Deputy Director General
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, has been appointed the Deputy Director General, Programmes, of the World Health Organisation.
She was earlier the director of the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai.
Swaminathan has been responsible for increasing the focus on tuberculosis research and created a consortium for tuberculosis research in India called “India TB Research and Development Corporation”. The body aimed at bringing together all major national and international stakeholders to develop new tools to combat TB including drugs, diagnostics and vaccines.
Swaminathan’s father, MS Swaminathan, is considered the pioneer of Green Revolution in the country.