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Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region have nominated Dr Hans Kluge of Belgium as the next WHO Regional Director for Europe. 

Dr Kluge has been an Honorary Professor at LSHTM in the Department of Health Services Research and Policy since 1 November 2018. He is due to take up the new WHO post in February 2020.

Speaking after his nomination, Dr Kluge said, “Member States want to see an agile WHO/Europe providing a compass for better health in the Region. They want a very pragmatic toolbox for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We have to take into account global health, the regional context, but also countries’ cultural and health system specificities.”

He also stressed the importance of partnerships and explained that he would seek to strengthen WHO/Europe as a centre of excellence that provides concrete help to countries to increase impact at the country level.

Describing the challenges ahead for the region, Dr Kluge concluded, “The road is long, the mountains are steep, the instruments are few, but the solidarity is great.”

Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Many congratulations to Dr Kluge on his new role at WHO. We look forward to sharing expertise and working closely with him to improve health and health equity for people across the European region.”

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also congratulated Dr Kluge: “From your nomination, you have earned the confidence and trust of Member States. This is a great privilege but also a great responsibility. We should work together to deliver results to the people we serve.”

Dr Kluge will work alongside LSHTM alumni Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO Director-General, MSc Immunology of Infectious Diseases 1992), Dr Matshidiso Moeti (WHO Regional Director for Africa, MSc Community Health for Developing Countries 1986), Dr Carissa F. Etienne, WHO Regional Director for the Americas, MSc Community Health for Developing Countries 1982) and Dr Takeshi Kasai (WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, MSc Public Health in Developing Countries 1996).