Hanan H. Balkhy

Professor Hanan Balkhy is a clinician and public health expert with 25 years of substantive experience in public health, community and child health, and communicable diseases including significant expertise in managing outbreak emergencies.

Professor Balkhy completed her medical degree from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and received training in Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and further training in infectious diseases at the Cleveland Clinic foundation and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio, United States.

Professor Balkhy has been instrumental in developing and advancing national healthcare programs in several areas including the strengthening of their health system underpinnings, especially workforce education and development, and expanding quality-controlled services. This includes exercising leadership through membership in senior management teams to formulate and implement critical national health policies.

Alongside this, she established a highly commended research program to advance public health from a multisectoral ‘one health’ perspective.

Currently, Professor Balkhy is the Assistant Director General for Antimicrobial resistance at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva and serves in its highest management team with associated global leadership, strategic direction, and advocacy responsibilities.

Finally, Professor Balkhy is nominated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization.