UN Secretary-General Appoints Natalia Kanem of Panama Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund
Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 1:05PM The Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) joins others in welcoming the Dr Natalia Kanem as the new Executive Director of UNFPA, as announced:
We are pleased to announce that Dr Natalia Kanem has been appointed Executive Director of UNFPA on 3 October 2017 by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres...
Dr Kanem had been serving as Acting Executive Director since 5 June 2017, following the untimely death of Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, and as Deputy Executive Director, Programme, since July 2016. She was UNFPA Representative in Tanzania from 2014 to 2016.
Dr Kanem brings to the position more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience in the fields of medicine, public and reproductive health, peace, social justice, and philanthropy; and held senior positions in non-governmental organizations and philanthropic institutions.
Dr Kanem holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University and a Master’s degree in public health, with specialization in epidemiology and preventive medicine, from the University of Washington. She is also a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University in history and science.
The UN Secretary-General's official announcement of Dr Kanem's appointment can be found here. Dr Kanem is the fifth Executive Director of UNFPA since the Fund became operational in 1969.