6 June 2024
My dear friends and partners, Dr Moeti and Dr Kluge, Colleagues,
I am delighted to join you today to celebrate our colleagues’ achievement in completing the Pathways to Health Leadership for Transformation programme.
In doing so, we are also celebrating another example of successful collaboration among our three regions.
As I think you all know, I am making action to strengthen the health workforce in the Eastern Mediterranean one of three flagship initiatives for my new term, so I am particularly pleased that WHO is walking the talk and investing in our own workforce.
Improving the leadership capacities of our staff is critical. We want them to bring the best out in their teams, boost cooperation with partners and better influence the global health agenda. To do that, we need to challenge, inspire and empower them.
I would like to thank Dr Moeti, and her colleagues for initiating this programme and sharing it with other regions. This first tri-regional cohort builds on previous successful collaborations between AFRO and EURO.
EMRO colleagues who joined this cohort have provided very positive feedback. They appreciated the chance to spend quality time with colleagues from other regions and exchange ideas and experiences.
I hear many other EMRO colleagues are now interested in joining future cohorts.
Let me congratulate everyone who successfully completed the programme. You have shown dedication, determination and perseverance. It cannot have been easy to juggle this additional commitment alongside your onerous workloads, but I am sure you will agree it was worth it.
Once again, I thank my fellow regional directors and colleagues, and I look forward to further graduation ceremonies.
Let us keep up the good work together.
