Uton reappointed WHO regional chief

Uton reappointed WHO regional chief

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Uton Mochtat Rafei was reelected
Southeast Asia regional director of the World Health Organization
(WHO) in New Delhi, India, last month.

Uton was selected over competitors from Bhutan, Korea,
Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand in the WHO
annual meeting on Sept. 7 to Sept. 12, said Broto Wasisto, an
expert staff member of the Ministry of Health.

He will serve his second period as regional director of WHO
from Mar. 1, 1999, to Mar. 1, 2004. He was the first Indonesian
to become WHO regional director in 1994 and he was also a
contender in the election of the WHO director to replace Japan's
Hiroshi Nakajima. He was defeated by former Norwegian prime
minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Before his first term, Uton won acclaim for his work in the
campaign against polio and intestinal worms infection in South
Asian countries.

He has promoted the "Health for All" strategy, Broto said. The
campaign has helped overcome poor health conditions in developing
countries.

"He is an expert in public health with strong vision on health
development in developing countries," Broto said.

Uton, who began his career in WHO in 1981 as regional adviser
of Public Health, was formerly the organization's health
infrastructure system director in India. (01)