Professor Duncan Selbie elected head of global public health network

Members of International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) voted in a virtual election in November, with the result announced at their annual meeting this week.

IANPHI is a network of public health leaders with 111 members, representing 95 countries and works to build global public health capacity by creating, connecting, and transforming the world’s national public health institutes.

Professor Selbie’s election comes as the landscape of global public health is changing in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, making the work of IANPHI more vital than ever and provides an excellent opportunity for the UK to further strengthen its relationships with our global partners.

He has worked closely with IANPHI members for several years across various projects, including PHE’s International Health Regulations Strengthening Project which aims to establish and strengthen the capability of public health institutions to prevent, detect, respond to and control public health threats.

Following a period of transition, Professor Selbie will take over from outgoing president Andre van der Zande in January, beginning a 3-year term.

Professor Duncan Selbie said:

The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and the response on a scale we have never before seen in living memory. Public health experts have never been more important to the health of their people and their local economies. We have a huge opportunity and responsibility to share our knowledge and learn from each other, ultimately strengthening global health security. IANPHI have a leading role to play in this.

Outgoing IANPHI president Professor Andre van dar Zande said:

IANPHI is very fortunate to have someone of Duncan’s experience and skill at its helm. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of how important it is to have strong, effective institutes protecting the public’s health.