Ministry of Health Acting Director General Patrick Amoth has joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) executive board.
WHO made the announcement on Friday, May 22, that Dr. Amoth had been elected to the board as the vice-chair for a 2-year-term. He also represent Kenya in the executive board that is composed of 34 persons who are technically qualified in the field of health.
Each of them is designated by a member state that has been elected to serve by the World Health Assembly.
The Ministry of Health Director General will serve under Dr Harsh Vardhan of India.
Dr Amoth's colleagues include Björn Kümmel (Germany) Volda Lawrence (Guyana) Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi (Oman) Dr Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu (Tonga)
Dr. Amoth is a medical doctor with a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Obstetrics/Gynaecology from the University of Nairobi.
He previously served as chief medical specialist (obstetrics/gynaecology)/ senior deputy director of medical services at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Nairobi.
He has been instrumental in the ministry's efforts to curb the spread of Coronavirus in Kenya.
He has embraced the use of technology to innovate a way of responding to pressing concerns about his ministry's actions to flatten the curve to journalists, medical professions and the public.
Dr Amoth hosts a weekly Q and A session on popular social media platform, Twitter where he engages Kenyans for one hour every Wednesday.
Among his current duties and responsibilities at the Ministry of Health are developing national guidelines on standards of health care for both clinical and community health practice in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, planning, directing and developing preventive and promotive policies at the national level.
He is also involved in the formulation and development of national health policies, plans and programmes, initiating partnerships with external stakeholders and development partners, monitoring and evaluating the performance of all the units under the division of family health..
He handles capacity building of staff at both the national and county level.
