2019 WHA Board Elections
2019 is an election year for the World Hepatitis Alliance Board. Three regional positions are up for election, the European Region (EURO) with two candidates standing, the
South East Asia Region (SEARO) with three candidates standing and the America’s Region (PAHO) with one candidate standing. The elections will be held in early January when
eligible voting members of WHA will receive the voting information by email. Full candidate profiles can be seen at www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/2019-elections
euro Candidates
searo candidates
george kalamitsis – greece dr. md. humayun kabir – bangladesh
“I am a founding member and Chair of Hellenic Liver Patient
Association “Prometheus”, since 2012. I am engaged in Health Policy,
specialized in the public health sector. My work is related to
providing support to people living with viral hepatitis, advocating for
their rights and providing evidence-based policy actions. Recently, I
was assigned as President of the Committee Protecting the Rights of
Recipients of Health Services (Greek Ministry of Health 2017). I have
been working extensively with multiple stakeholders, focusing on
patients’ rights as well as building communication channels with
organizations and stakeholders, on a National, European and
International level.” “I am a medical graduate with a post-graduate degree in Primary
Health Care from Mahidol University Thailand in 1994. I worked
in various government health facilities from 1982 to 2009. I spent
most of my service at the national level in the Directorate General of
Health Services. My primary duties were national health program
formulation, monitoring and overseeing their implementation. I have
experience in coordination of WHO country programs as well as
global programs implemented in Bangladesh. I was elected Regional
Board Member of WHA in 2011-12 and 2013-14 and participated in
the WHO guidelines preparation workshops in Geneva.”
rachel halford – united kingdom r.p. shanmugam – india
“I have worked for over 20 years with people at high-risk of viral
hepatitis – the homeless, prisoners, substance misuse and migrants.
Before joining The Hepatitis C Trust (HCT) as deputy CEO 3 years
ago, I was CEO of Women in Prison, a national UK NGO supporting
women affected by the criminal justice system. In July 2018 I
became CEO of HCT. I have extensive experience in all areas of
running a NGO, I have sat on a number of national boards and
represented HCT on a European level as a member of ELPA. I cleared
hepatitis C in 2007.” “I was the first qualified Surgical Gastroenterologist in India; with a
special interest in Liver disease, I founded the famous Dept of
Gastroenterology, Stanley Medical College, Chennai. I also
performed the country’s first liver transplant way back in 1996. With
over 50 years of medical practice and my passion for serviung the
needy, I have just opened our own hospital, so that linkage to care
will never be a problem. We are also in the process of
collaborating with the government to push for elimination of viral
hepatitis by 2030.”
paho candidates
patricia vélez-möller – guatemala
“I was diagnosed with hepatitis C at 37 years old. I have used my
knowledge and experience as a physician and patient to fight against
unawareness and stigma surrounding hepatitis. I am the Co-Founder
and President of the Guatemalan Liver Association, the Regional
Advisor for the Americas of World Hepatitis Alliance, a member of
the PAHO/WHO Technical Advisory Committee on Viral Hepatitis and
a Representative of Civil Society and Academy for the National Viral
Hepatitis Task Force. I aim to find the undiagnosed millions and help
them get treatment.”
8 hep Voice December 2018
edo agustian – indonesia
“I come from a drug-user community and had worked in the field of
HIV and access to medicines since 2003. Since then I co-founded
several organizations at the regional and national level to do
advocacy work for harm reduction and human rights. I was elected as
the National Coordinator for Indonesian Drug User Network (PKNI) in
2011. Under my leadership, the Network had received several
recognitions such as Red Ribbon Award and I was also felicitated with
the Rolleston Award. PKNI became members of the World
Hepatitis Alliance in 2015 during my time serve as National
Coordinator of PKNI.”
hep Voice
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