Nedret Emiroglu

Dr Nedret Emiroglu started her career on communicable disease prevention and control in the Turkish Ministry of Health, where she led Turkey’ eradication of poliomyelitis. In 1997, she joined WHO in charge of vaccination first in the Western Pacific Region and then in Turkey and the Balkans. From 2001, Dr Emiroglu headed the immunization Programme at the WHO Regional Office for Europe and held managerial positions in all technical areas of public health. She also led Europe’s response to pandemic influenza in 2009. From 2010, Dr Emiroglu was the Deputy Director of the Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and Special Representative of the Regional Director for Europe on the Millennium Development Goals and Governance, before taking up her positions as Director of the same Division, and Director of Programme Management at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. During this period, Dr Emiroglu led efforts to support countries to prepare for and respond to health emergencies, and to prevent and control infectious diseases. Under her tenure, the European Region was declared malaria-free, abated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and progresses towards measles and rubella elimination. As the Director of Programme Management, she was the principal adviser to the Regional Director on health policies, strategies and technical priorities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.