Anil Soni

The World Health Organisation Foundation has appointed Anil Soni as its CEO. Soni, who will start in January, will be the inaugural CEO of the independent grant-making agency. He plans to accelerate the Foundation’s work to invest in innovative, evidence-based initiatives that support the WHO in delivering its mission to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

Soni will join the WHO Foundation from Viatris, a global healthcare company, where he has served as Head of Global Infectious Diseases.

‘Anil is a proven innovator in global health who has spent two decades in service of communities affected by HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. He earned my trust when he and his team at the Clinton Health Access Initiative worked side by side with the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia to expand access to treatment and strengthen the management of our health centres,’ said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, who is interviewed in the latest issue of Alliance magazine.

‘Anil has a unique set of skills that spans the public and private sectors, and his leadership of the Foundation will provide invaluable support to the mission of the WHO and the billions of people who depend on it.’

The WHO Foundation was launched in May 2020 to work alongside the WHO itself and the global health community. It is based in Geneva, where the WHO headquarters also reside. The Foundation is a separate legal entity from the WHO – and seeks to complement and strengthen the Organisation’s efforts to address global health.

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